Battle Of The Minds
by Rise of the Blossom
Summary: Thirty years ago, the Saiyan and Human Empires came together to take down the Colds' once and for all. Now, just when they thought they would live lives of peace and happiness, their worlds are flipped upside down. Some find love, some find happiness. Others are left with scars nobody can see and a deep, unadulterated loathing and need for revenge.
1. New Generation

**Warning: This is the sequel to 'Battle of the Empires'.**

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><p><span><strong>Battle of the Minds<strong>

By: Helennnn

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – New Generation<strong>

"I want you both to be careful, okay?" Bulma said softly as she hugged her children goodbye.

Her two children, Trunks and Bra, were going on a mission along with their teammates, Pan, Goten and Retasu, to a faraway planet called Spelpicarn. The Saiyans had been contacted by the King of Spelpicarn because his daughter, the Princess, was in danger. The Saiyans and Humans were protectors of the empire that their Kings had built over the many generations and since they were the leaders of over half of the Universe, it was their duty to protect all of the planets in their empire.

"Stop coddling the brats, woman. They are warriors not weaklings!" Vegeta's loud voice filled the docking stations as he scowled at his mate.

"They are still my children, Vegeta. I can't help but worry! No matter how powerful one may be there will always be someone who is even more powerful." Bulma retorted as she narrowed her eyes at her husband. "You of all people should know that by now."

By now, Bra had gotten used to the fact her mother went slightly over the top when they were sent on missions. She understood her reasons, they were only half Saiyans but that didn't make them weak. In fact, they were a hundred times stronger than the pure blooded Saiyan Elites! But she also knew that her mother was right; you just never know who you might run into.

"I doubt it. Saiyans are the most powerful-"

"Most powerful race in the Universe, blah, blah, blah yeah so you've said about a thousand times, but don't forget they are half human too so they're a little more fragile than you think. Even if they do have my genetics, not all humans are warriors."

"Can you guys stop arguing for two minutes?" Bra laughed sheepishly, "I mean come on, we're leaving for God knows how long and in our last moments on the planet you are both at each other's throats!"

"Your highnesses, the ship is packed and ready to go." A servant woman said as she bowed in front of the royal family.

"Thank you Clayana, we will board the ship in a few minutes." Trunks smiled. Much to his father's distaste, Trunks showed respect to the lower classes and servants, much like his mother did.

Bulma finally let go of her children and took a step back, "Gosh you both look so… _weird_ in those uniforms. I hope I didn't look that weird when I was your age."

Bra and Trunks looked down at their armour self-consciously and the former couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with it. Surely her mother couldn't honestly prefer her short shorts and low cut tank tops instead? They all knew that Vegeta didn't and at least these items of clothing protected her; she should know that too since they _were_ Bulma's designs.

Their mother, Queen of the Saiyan and Human Empire, is an extremely – if not downright scarily – intelligent woman. She could literally turn anything she wanted into something useful, no matter what it was. She had taken the old Saiyan armour and made it pretty much indestructible. Bulma was now crowned the Queen of the planet Earth and Vegeta-sei, which also included the Saiyan and Human Empire. She was also the one of the strongest warriors in their Empire.

"Gee, thanks mom." Bra rolled her eyes as she placed her scouter on.

"Just be careful, okay? And make sure Pan doesn't get into trouble like last time." Bulma said sternly.

On the group's last mission, Pan lost her temper and completely blew their cover, turning their mission of simply finding and picking up an important charge and making it a battle of survival. A battle they would have lost had it not been for Trunks and Goten.

"We will," Bra nodded, "So how long are we going to be gone for anyway?" She asked, turning towards her father.

"It will take two weeks to get there, once you arrive on the planet, take the King's daughter and bring her here. You should be gone just over a month."

Vegeta inwardly sighed. He hated being separated from his daughter. Even though she was sixteen, he still considered her to be his little girl. Although he would never admit that to anyone, he despised the thought of any harm coming to her and he hated it when she was gone for too long. Of course he wouldn't admit something like that to anyone. He was the King of the Saiyan and Human Empire! He was feared all across the Universe.

"I thought the planet was on the other side of the empire?" Trunks asked.

"It is, but I updated the ships recently so it would only take half of the time." Bulma said proudly. "Anyway you two better go. It looks like Retasu is a little impatient."

Trunks and Bulma turned in unison to see the tall Saiyan stood at the top of the ramp with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, "I think you're right." Bra giggled. "Well I guess we'll see you both in a month's time then!" She hugged her mother and father goodbye, even though her father tried to get out of the hug. Bra knew by now that it was just because he wasn't sure how to react to open shows of affection, but deep, deep, _deep _down she knew for a fact that he loves the attention really.

The siblings walked towards the ship in silence and boarded it without looking back at their parents. The sooner they completed their mission, the sooner they could return to their home planet.

As Bulma watched her children walk onto the ship, she got a strange feeling in her stomach; it was almost like menstruation cramps – only worse. She pushed the pain to the back of her mind and tried her best to keep a straight face as she watched their ship take off into the darkness of space. Vegeta could sense the woman's pain through their mental bond but also like her, he chose to just class it as menstruation cramps.

"Come on woman," Vegeta said after a few moments of silence.

Bulma looked up at her husband as she took his arm and accompanied him to his throne room.

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><p>"Pan?"<p>

"What is it, Bra?" The younger Saiyan asked as she put down one of the magazines that had been sent from Earth.

Bra sat up straight on her bed and looked at her best friend. "Do you ever think about boys?"

"What? Do you mean like, sex and stuff?"

"No! I mean like dates." Bra laughed as she threw a fluffy royal blue pillow at her friend. She was surprised at how casually she spoke about sex. "Anyway, how do _you_ know about sex? You're like what… twelve, thirteen?"

Pan rolled her eyes. She got that a lot. "Fifteen in two months and like age has anything to do with it! I heard that Yasai was having sex with Ringo."

"Aren't they third classes?" When she saw Pan nod, Bra shook her head with disbelief. "Wow, are you being serious? Yasai is only thirteen! She's still a little kid." Bra turned her nose up in disgust at the thought.

"Yeah, apparently their getting married too." Pan suddenly sighed. "Do you think we'll ever find our mates?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bra snapped. "We're still considered kids on Earth."

"Yeah but that's Earth, on Vegeta-sei we're young adults or something. Technically, we're mature enough to find our mates once we turn fourteen. I heard my grandma lecturing my dad about it and I don't think he liked the idea of me finding my mate." Pan giggled at the memory of her dad's overreaction.

"Well I don't want to settle down just yet, I mean come on! Our lives have only just begun. We should be living not becoming wives and mothers." Bra said in disgust.

Bra hated it when Pan would start talking about finding their mates. She knew her best friend had a thing for her brother, Trunks, even if she wouldn't admit it. One time Bra questioned the younger Saiyan about it and her face turned beetroot red and she started stuttering some crap about only being from a third class family and that they could never be together. That was another thing Bra hated, the ranks and classes.

There was a knock on Bra's bedroom door just as she got up. She knew who it was already because she could sense him but last time they were on the ship she threw a tantrum because Retasu had walked in when she was getting changed. She had never been so angry. It's not that she was embarrassed by her body, no, she knew she was hot because she was almost an exact copy of her mother, if not more beautiful. It was the fact that her privacy had been invaded and he could have walked in on anything.

"You can come in, Retasu." Bra sighed as she sat back down on her bed.

Retasu slowly entered Bra's room and when he decided it was safe, he walked towards the two females. Retasu was eighteen and was known for being a player just like his father had been before he finally found his mate. He was one of three sons of Raditz and Samu and was basically a double of his father from the long hair right down to the height and facial expressions. However, Retasu tied his hair up in a low, loose ponytail so that it didn't get in the way on missions. Also, his hair was dull brown, not black.

"Are you two coming to watch a movie with us?" He asked the two girls.

"What are you guys watching?"

"Uh, I think it's called Saw 3." He replied with an unsure expression.

Bra and Pan exchanged glances and looked up at Retasu and nodded. "Sure why not, I'm in the mood for a gory film." Bra shrugged.

The girls followed Retasu into the home cinema room and sat down in the middle of the large black sofa. Due to there being royalty on the ship, they were allowed to have a home cinema along with a games room on the ship so their travelling would fly by, even though their father would say that they should be training the entire trip so they would be prepared.

"So where's Trunks and Goten?" Bra asked when she noticed they were the only ones in the room.

"Right here. You can't watch a movie without popcorn!" Goten laughed as he entered the room with Trunks following behind them. They both had their arms full of drinks and snacks.

Goten sat in between Bra and Trunks and Retasu sat next to Pan. They had all been quite good friends since they were children but it wasn't until they were placed into the same squadron did they all become best friends. Trunks and Goten had been friends since birth; some even say they were like brothers because they did everything together. They even found a technique where they could fuse their bodies together. But one time they did the routine wrong and turned into a massive, loud mouthed brat. However when they did it right, even Vegeta had to admit that they looked pretty awesome, but Bra knew that he only liked Gotenks because he shared the same rebellious attitude as him.

"True, so who's putting it on?" Pan asked as she noticed the screen was still off.

Retasu sighed as he got up and put the disc into the DVD player and hit play.

Throughout the entire movie the group of Saiyans laughed at the over use of blood and the unrealistic-ness of the victim's injuries. Don't get them wrong, they hated causing pain to people who don't deserve or ask for it but when they watched horror movies, they can't help but laugh at the fake blood. Half of the time they go over the top and squirt it out about ten feet and the other half they make it bright red so that it looks more like ketchup than blood.

As the credits filled the screen, Bra stretched and stood up. "Wow that movie sucks!"

"Yeah I know what you mean; it just looked so fake!" Goten said as finished off the last of his coke.

Pan stood up and walked towards the door. "Well guys I'm tired so I'll see you all in the morning."

"Night," They all said in unison.

Bra stretched once more and walked over towards the door. "I'm off for a shower and this time, no one come in unless I say so. Got it Retasu?"

Retasu blushed as he glared at the Princess, "I didn't-"

"Yeah, yeah don't act like you didn't like what you saw." She winked.

Trunks wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Bra! Do you have to?"

"What? I'm only messing with him! Geez, Trunks, you're as bad as dad." Bra groaned as she left the room.

As soon as she shut her bedroom door, she stripped down and walked over to her bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.

Much to her family's distaste, this was something she had done once a week since she turned eight. Although she knew she had a body a lot of women would kill for, she still felt as though she had to weigh herself and look for any changes. Like every other girl her age, she had body issues. She had things she wants to change, things she hates and things she loves. She was comfortable in her body but at the same time she wasn't. She loved how she could capture everyone's attention when she entered a room but at the same time, she hated it.

Her mother had told her that it was all a part of growing up even though Bra's body had matured a lot earlier than her mother's had. Bra started growing breasts and her body started taking it's womanly shape when she turned eleven and her mother's didn't start until she turned fifteen, but they just classed it as her being half Saiyan. Her father had said most pure blood Saiyan girls' bodies mature at the age of eleven and from then on they stay the same. It was an understatement to say that he wasn't too happy with the fact his only daughter now looked like a younger version of his wife and that she had long lines of boys and men who wished to court her to become her mate/husband.

"Men," Bra shook her head as she finished her check-up and got into the shower.

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><p><strong>AN - I know this may be starting out a little slow, but that will just be this chapter and the next, I think. Bare with me on the grammar errors, I don't have Word on this laptop, only KingSoft or whatever the hell it's called.  
><strong>

**Also, I might not update this one as often as I will Better In Time because this is actually a lot harder to write. It's also going to be a lot darker than Battle of the Empires, which is why it is rated 'M'.**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	2. Sparring Session

**Chapter 2 – Sparring Session**

"Have you seen Trunks?"

Goten looked up to see Bra standing in the doorway of the training room. Like all of the other times he had seen her, his heart skipped a beat. It was starting to worry him. Was it normal for his heart to be doing that? Surely one day, the skips were going to have a negative effect on him.

It had been this way for the past two years. Every time he caught sight of the blue haired half-Saiyan, Goten would lose his concentration, his stomach would flip and his heart would beat so loud, he was certain everyone could hear it. He wasn't a fool. Goten knew that he was attracted to Bra, but who wasn't now-a-days? She had almost every male in the Universe lusting after her or asking for her hand in marriage. He only knew this because it was his job to protect Bra. Like his brother once had and like his father had before him.

The only reason he hadn't acted on his feelings was because he was worried she didn't feel the same. Not only that, but she was Trunks's little sister! Trunks had been his best friend for as long as Goten could remember. If things ended badly between him and Bra, not only would he lose her, but he would also lose his best friend. He valued his friendship with the two way too much to risk it.

"Hello," Bra drawled as she waved a hand in front of Goten's face, "Earth to Goten?"

When had she gotten so close? Goten looked up in silent alarm to see her face only inches from his own. At the sight of her stunningly blue eyes, his breath caught. Sometimes, he was certain she did that on purpose! Standing up from his seated position on the floor, Goten cleared his throat. "Uh… is he not with Retasu or Pan?"

Bra rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "If he was, I wouldn't be here asking you."

Did she know that when she placed her hands on her hips, her curves seemed to be much more appealing than they already were? Goten quickly shook his head. Damn it! He had to be careful with thoughts such as those. Like all other humans, because they were half-human, they also had gifts. Trunks had the ability to read minds, just like Bulma and Bra could tell when somebody was lying to her. "Why don't you try focusing on his energy?"

"Oh, I never thought of that!" Bra huffed and rolled her eyes once again. "Whatever," She waved a hand dismissively, "will you train with me instead?"

"Is that the only reason you needed him?" Goten chuckled. Instead of waiting for a reply, however, he then continued. "Sure, I'll train with you."

Normally, Bra only trained with her family or Kakarot. Goten had seen her whilst she was training before, but had always been busy with _his_ training sessions to spar with her. Because he and Trunks were better as a team, it had become an unsaid rule that when they trained, it was together.

Bra smirked as they both fell into fighting stances. "Don't hold back."

"Wasn't planning on it," Goten returned her smirk before shooting forward.

For a moment, Bra was completely shocked by his speed, before she shook the shock out of her system and threw her fist forward, only for it to be caught by a large hand. Eyes narrowing, Bra threw her other fist forward, but like her right, her left was also caught. Realising that Goten had been serious when he told her he wouldn't be holding back, Bra quickly jumped up and slammed her feet into his chest, beating the air out of his lungs and earning herself a grunt of pain.

The hands holding her fists were quick to let go to stop his hands from being ripped off. Goten's brows knitted together slightly as he recognised the move. It was one of Vegeta's! Cursing his luck, Goten quickly jumped backwards to avoid another powerful kick to the chest. He should have remembered that Bra would fight like Vegeta! After all, he was the one who trained her.

Goten was put on the defensive as he blocked and dodged any attacks thrown his way. It was definitely a challenge getting used to Bra's fighting technique, one moment it would be almost an exact replica of Vegeta's and then the next, it would be like Bulma's! Luckily, Goten had seen his father spar with Vegeta many times and had also sparred with the King himself, so he was kind of familiar with his technique. However, he had never really seen Bulma fight, not properly. Sure, she sparred with his dad a lot, but she mostly only trained with Vegeta in the privacy of their gravity room – and everybody knew that you should never interrupt one of their sparring sessions, not unless you wanted to be scarred for life.

Due to his wandering thoughts, Goten was quickly caught off guard by an uppercut which was followed by another powerful punch to the face. Where Bra got all her power from with those tiny fists was beyond him! As his body crashed to the ground, he had been expecting to skid backwards, but found out too late that Bra had stopped his momentum. And when he meant stopped, he meant pinning his arms to his sides by straddling his waist. This, Goten knew for a fact, was one of Bulma's moves.

Couldn't Bra see the effect she was having on him? It felt like his entire body had gone rigid! Even if he wanted to, Goten wasn't even sure he could move her off of him. It felt so right having her on top of him-

As soon as that thought entered his mind, a punch to the face knocked it straight back out.

"What happened to not holding back?" Bra growled with annoyance as she lifted him by the collar so that they were eye level.

Didn't Bra see that it was taking everything in him to not let his body's reactions become known? He wanted nothing more than to grip her hips and pull her further down his body so that she would be pressed against him. He didn't want to spar with her. He wanted to kiss her, to run his fingers through her hair, to feel her all around him, hear her cry out his name as he pleasured her, as he made love to her.

Goten's eyes widened.

Never before had his thoughts gone _that_ far. They had never gone further than a kiss, maybe a little touching here and there, but never did he ever think of Bra that way. Never had he ever thought about taking her, claiming her, or making her his.

With that, Goten bucked his hips and with one quick move, Bra was on her back and he was stood a couple of feet away. Chuckling and scratching the back of his head, he watched as Bra slowly stood up, her confusion written all over her face. Goten knew that he would have to be careful about what excuse he came up with because Bra could tell when somebody was lying to her.

"Sorry, my head's all over the place." He told her honestly after a couple of moments. "I can't seem to concentrate." Then, just as Bra was about to say something, Goten quickly added, "Trunks is in the recreational room with Retasu and Pan."

The moment she blinked, Goten was gone and the door to the training room shut.

"What the hell just happened?" She mumbled in confusion before heading towards the recreational room.

She had liked sparring with Goten, even though it was only short. In those twenty minutes of fighting, her attacks had been so much more powerful. It was like she wanted to prove herself to him and in a way, she did – Goten was one of the most powerful warriors in the universe! To be acknowledged by him would be a great feeling. The only people who had ever truly acknowledged her strength was her mother. Her father was never one to give out a compliment; he just told her what her weaknesses and strong points were.

With a sigh, Bra pushed the door to the recreational room open. Only, instead of asking Trunks to train with her, she simply dropped down into the space between him and Retasu and leaned against him, using his shoulder as a pillow. Nobody said anything about her entrance, nor was Trunks bothered by her leaning on him – they had always been close.

Even though the movie playing was one she hadn't seen before, Bra couldn't focus on it. Goten's actions continued playing through her mind, confusing the hell out of her. What had caused him to react in such a way? Was it something she said? She and Goten had always been good friends, so Bra hoped she hadn't done anything to offend him.

"So who's cooking?"

Bra didn't even hear Trunks's question and she didn't notice how he looked down at her expectantly. Her eyes were still on the screen, only now, they were narrowed.

Where had Goten disappeared to? His ki was low, just like theirs, so she couldn't make out his location on the ship. They all had to keep their ki low so that no passer-by's could pick up their energy and realise that the Prince and Princess of the Human and Saiyan Empire were on board the ship. Sure, they could most likely take out anyone who dared to oppose them, but they didn't want to risk an ambush, not when they were in the middle of space – it would be too dangerous.

"Bra and I will cook." Pan offered with a smile before standing, grabbing Bra's hand and all but dragging the girl out of the room.

It was only then that Bra realised the movie had finished and that people had been talking to her.

Once they were in the kitchen, Pan closed the doors and faced Bra with an expectant expression. However, after a couple of moments and realising that Bra wasn't going to speak, Pan muttered something about being stubborn before finally asking, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me; I'm just a little distracted." Bra replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Mm-hm," The dark haired girl folded her arms over her chest and raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Whatever." Bra mumbled before moving to the food storage cupboard. "Let's just start dinner – I'm starving!"

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><p><strong>AN - Thank you to those who have reviewed!**


	3. I'll Just Go Super

**Chapter 3 – I'll Just Go Super**

Bulma smiled down at the photograph on her desk. It was of her two babies, her Trunks and Bra. They were smiling brightly at the camera, well, Trunks was – Bra had been a little too young back then to really understand what had been going on, but she was still smiling nonetheless.

It was the day Trunks unlocked the legendary and he had been only ten years old. Due to that, it had been the talk of the Universe. Fathers offered their daughters to him and at the time, Trunks had had no idea why. He simply thought they wanted them to be friends. It had been adorable yet sad when Bulma told him they didn't want to be that kind of friends. Then, the conversation had turned awkward when she had to explain they wanted to be friends like she was friends with Vegeta.

Trunks stopped wanting to be friends with his possible future wives.

Out of the whole turning Super Saiyan experience, however, there was one thing Bulma would never forget. It was the look on Vegeta's face. At first, he seemed too shocked to say anything, especially with how Trunks announced it, but then, his shock turned into pride.

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><p>"<em>What's the matter, boy?" Vegeta taunted during their training session. "Can't you handle a man's training session?"<em>

_Trunks scowled, suddenly appearing to look so much more like Vegeta than before. It was a sight that still stunned Bulma. "It's not a man's training session when there are girls here!" He argued._

_Vegeta rolled his eyes and fell into a fighting stance. It was true, there were females in the room, but they were members of their pack. At least three times a month, the whole family were to train together so that when they fought together, they all knew one another's techniques and no mistakes happened. Bra was only four years old and at Bulma's request, was being trained by her until the girl was old enough to withstand a serious training session with her father. So far, he had only taught her the basics._

_Trunks, however, was a completely different story. The boy had always been trained by Vegeta, but that was because he didn't want to – in Trunks's own words – fight like a woman. It always made Vegeta smirk, that memory, because it was also the day when Trunks learned not to anger his mother. No, she didn't attack him, but she had forced him to watch whilst Vegeta sparred with her._

_The boy still rather bravely said she fought like a girl._

"_Get over it!" Vegeta ordered as he threw another punch that Trunks quickly jumped out of the way from. "A real warrior can fight no matter who is around."_

_When Trunks landed on his feet, quite a bit away from his family, he gave his father a devilish smirk, one that caused the two females and Vegeta to immediately stop what they were doing and watch him. Trunks always got that look whenever he was planning something and most of the time, whatever he planned, was _not_ good._

"_Well I guess I'll just go super then." Trunks told them in a deadly soft voice._

_Bulma's eyes widened as she quickly grabbed a hold of Bra and held her close. She knew how powerful that transformation was and she knew that Bra wouldn't be able to stay standing. "What?"_

"_To go Super Saiyan, you need to train more, brat!" Vegeta yelled as he narrowed his eyes on Trunks. "You're not ready to handle such a transformation."_

_He didn't even bother to reply as Trunks clenched his fists and proved his father wrong._

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><p>Oh, Vegeta's face had been hilarious!<p>

Bulma smirked as she stood up from her desk and removed her lab coat. The elders had given her a hard time about working in the lab, saying it wasn't Royal-like, but Bulma had ignored them. Ever since her and Vegeta's honeymoon, some of their demands had been easier to ignore.

They were still pissed that she and Vegeta refused to take over the Cold Empire, but even now, over thirty years later, they didn't regret their decision. No if anything, they were glad they didn't take it. For the first couple of years running just their own Empire had been tough work. Add personal problems to their workload and then you would have a severely run down and tired couple.

It wasn't that they had marriage problems. No, it was much worse than that. It was the fact that they had both lost their parents, the fact that they had to adjust to their new roles, the fact that Tarble left to live on some foreign, peaceful planet, the fact that it had taken Bulma over ten years to finally fall pregnant with Trunks.

Because of her inability to give Vegeta an heir, the elders had tried to end their marriage, saying that there _had_ to be a child. It had put so much stress on the couple, because they honestly did _not_ want to be separated. They had promised to always be there, through better or worse.

Leaving her lab, Bulma sighed and switched off the lights before walking down the long hallway. As expected, there were two Saiyans trailing behind her, but not close enough to give away their positions. It didn't worry her that she was being followed. No, Bulma knew who those two clowns were.

Even after thirty years, Vegeta still demanded that she have her guards. When Bra had been born, Bulma had managed to talk him round to giving Kakarot the responsibility of protecting their daughter. She chose Kakarot because he was the second strongest in the universe and Bulma knew that he would be able to protect Bra. However, since Bra was currently away on mission with his son and granddaughter, Kakarot was back to being Bulma's guard.

It wasn't even like she could snap at them either, because it would gain her unwanted attention. Also, it wasn't Kakarot's fault he had to follow her; he was simply doing his job, simply following orders.

As well as Kakarot, Raditz was also her guard. He wasn't as strong as them, but he was a _very_ observant person and had a ridiculously good nose. Raditz could tell when something was wrong, when something bad was going to happen and when danger was near. It was why she chose him to stay with her. Whilst he was the smartest, Kakarot was the strongest.

Bulma didn't need anyone to protect her or fight for her, but her daughter did. Despite how strong she acted, Bra wasn't as strong as her brother and she wasn't as strong as her mother. Yes, she was a lot more powerful than the other warriors, but… she was Bulma's baby girl. Even Vegeta agreed that giving Kakarot the task to protect Bra had been a good idea and everybody knew how much he disliked the younger Super Saiyan.

At the age of five, Vegeta had taken to training Bra three times a week whilst Bulma trained her two times a week. Time in between had been used for studying, but Bra always tried to get out of it. There had been a couple of times when Vegeta helped her get out of studying! That jerk always gave in to her. It was pretty hilarious that a sixteen year old girl had the strongest warrior in the Universe wrapped around her little finger. Not only was he wrapped around her little finger, but Vegeta was also very protective of Bra. It wasn't only him, either. Trunks could be just as bad and there were even times when Kakarot and his family were protective of her, but that was mostly Goten.

When Bulma felt the two Saiyans behind her back off until they had completely disappeared, she inwardly smiled. It was only when she was around Vegeta that they left her alone, since everyone knew that they would never be able to harm Bulma when she was with Vegeta. To attempt or even think about hurting her was pretty much like committing suicide, especially since Bulma could read minds and her mind was connected with Vegeta's.

She had managed to control her mind technique much better over the years and it now took little to no effort to read somebody's mind. Instead of doing that though, Bulma had adjusted her mind to automatically taking a look at another's emotions, moods and intentions. It was the same as reading somebody's mind, but in a way, it wasn't. At least this way she didn't abuse their trust by listening to their private thoughts. So, when Bulma felt a killing intent coming from somebody's mind, she then had the right to check the person's mind without permission. If they were indeed thinking what she had thought, then Vegeta dealt with them.

As Bulma entered Vegeta's study, she smiled at the sight of him busy with paperwork. It was always strange seeing him at a desk. Due to her teenage years spent on Vegeta-sei, she had grown used to training with him all day, every day. Now-a-days, Vegeta trained before and after breakfast, ate lunch, did paperwork, ate dinner and then had a sparring session with Kakarot or Bulma or Trunks and Goten. Trunks and Goten always fought together, but that wasn't the reason why Vegeta sparred with them. No, it was because the two boys had learned how to fuse together and when they did, their power and strength combined, giving Vegeta a _very_ big challenge.

Her smile changed to a smirk as Bulma stepped forward and walked around the large desk, standing at Vegeta's side. When he looked up at her with a raised, questioning eyebrow, she sat back against the desk and returned the look.

"What do you want, woman?"

Bulma leaned forward so that her lips grazed against his ear before letting out a breathy, "You."

Vegeta smirked as he placed his hands onto Bulma's hips and guided her closer to him until she was sitting on his lap. "I always give my Queen everything she desires." He murmured before capturing her lips with his own.

"I should make you read books from Earth more often," Bulma gasped as Vegeta moved his kisses to her neck and her eyes fluttered closed at his ministrations. "You can be quite the Casanova when you want to be."

"Hn," Vegeta ignored his woman's light teasing as he stood up and pushed her backwards so that she was against his desk. "You can't make me do anything."

It was a lie and they both knew it. "Is that so, my King? I'm sure that I made you voice your pleasure rather loudly last night."

Once again, Vegeta smirked as he lifted his woman and she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. Due to her being in the lab, she wasn't wearing her usual long dresses. Instead, Bulma was wearing a simple skirt and blouse, which Vegeta was thankful for as he lifted the skirt up around her hips before he removed her underwear with one, swift motion. Bulma aided him with the removal of his chest armour before running her hands over his chest, revelling in the hard muscles that twitched under her fingers.

By now, the pair were panting and their movements became much faster, bordering desperate. It didn't take long for Vegeta to push his under armour down and free himself before entering his mate, making her gasp with pleasure and her eyes roll back.

It wasn't their first time doing it on his desk and it definitely wouldn't be the last. In fact, over the years, Vegeta had had to replace his desk several times due to it becoming unsteady. It wasn't all that surprising though, especially since every time they had sex on or against his desk, they were always quite rough with one another.

His thrusts were hard and fast, making Bulma moan and her nails claw at his back. Using one arm, Vegeta pinned her body to his whilst his other hand held a tight grip of Bulma's thigh, lifting it ever so slightly so that he could hit deeper.

However just as Vegeta felt Bulma's walls clamping down on him, there was a knock on the door that made him growl with annoyance, although Bulma seemed to not have heard it, as she was currently trying to get him to move again. Instead of giving her what she wanted, Vegeta turned his head towards the door, his glare practically burning a hole through it.

"I'm busy."

"Forgive me, King Vegeta," Said a hesitant, feminine voice through the door, "but the elders wish to see you and Queen Bulma immediately."

Bulma groaned with annoyance before yelling, "They can wait ten minutes!"

There was a brief pause before the voice spoke again. "It is an emergency, Queen Bulma."

Her upper lip curled with annoyance. Whenever she and Vegeta were interrupted, it was always women who interrupted them, never any males. They both knew why that was and it angered Bulma to no end. There was no point in denying that Vegeta was a very attractive man and his role as King only seemed to boost that thought. It was because of this that many women were after him, even some as young as Bra or Pan.

Vegeta must have sensed her growing fury as he growled, "Do not speak back to your Queen! We will be ten minutes. Whatever the elders have to say can wait until then!"

"…" There was nothing but silence until a small voice came back, "Yes, King Vegeta."

Bulma sighed as she pressed her face into the crook of Vegeta's neck, as though she was trying to block everything out. The hold her arms had around him tightened, pulling him even closer until he was pressed against her. "Do you really think there's a meeting? This wouldn't be the first time one of your annoying fans interrupted us for nothing other than their own-"

"I don't care if there is," Vegeta interrupted before leaning back and pressing his lips to hers. Parting for air, he then murmured against them, "because I'm not done with you yet, my Queen."

She made sure to be extra loud as they continued.


	4. Not An Easy Child

**Chapter 4 – Not An Easy Child**

She had never really been an easy child. There was one time (okay, _more_ than one time) when she had been going through a rebellious stage. Yes, a lot of teenagers went through them, but when you're the Princess of all Saiyans? Well, to say you were more closely watched would be a bit of an understatement. Not only was she the Princess of all Saiyans, but also of all Humans.

At just sixteen, Bra already had a pretty large fan club. There were girls dying their hair blue, changing their clothes and whatnot, just to be like her. It was crazy! There were also guys all over the universe wishing to court her. Not that her father allowed any of them to get close to her. He took the whole 'over-protective father' thing to a completely new level. Oh and then there was Trunks! He could be just as bad as their father sometimes.

Twisting a strand of her blue hair around her finger, Bra sighed as she turned the page of her book. Her hair used to be much longer than mid-length. In fact at one point, it reached all the way down to her hips! People always told her how much she reminded them of when her mother was younger and how Bulma's hair used to be exactly like hers. At one point, it had really pissed Bra off. She didn't want to be like her mother, she wanted to be her own person! When they said those things to her, Bra would flip. Not always in front of them, since she had to stay polite and proper because of her being a Princess. It wouldn't do to have her screaming and shouting at people, now, would it?

Oh but believe her when she said that she _did_ flip.

* * *

><p>"<em>Bra, what do you think you're doing?" <em>

_Her mother's shrill voice seemed much higher as it clawed at Bra's eardrums, making her shudder ever so slightly. However instead of talking back, Bra tightened her hold on the scissors in her right hand whilst grabbing a large chunk of her hair with the other hand. As she did, Bulma's eyes widened, making Bra smirk._

"_I'm so sick of everyone saying I'm like you!" Bra yelled angrily. "I'm nothing like you!"_

_Bulma didn't seem capable of forming words as she simply stared at Bra in shock until finally, just as the latter went to lift the scissors to her hair, she snapped into action. "Don't do it, Bra! You are going to ruin your hair." Bulma warned her daughter, her eyes flashing. Then, her look of anger turned into a frown. "You don't need to cut off your hair to stop being like me."_

"_Why does my hair matter so much?" She shrieked. "It's just hair!"_

"_Bra," Bulma sighed, but when she went to take a step forward, the girl held the scissors even closer. "You have an image to uphold. You can't be acting out like this, it isn't proper."_

_This seemed to be the wrong thing to say as Bra's hold tightened before she snarled. "Why the hell do I have to be proper? Trunks doesn't have to be!" She already knew the answer, of course. It was the same answer every single time. "Because I'm a Princess and Trunks is a Prince." Bra mocked her mother's high pitched voice, closing the scissors a little bit more. "Just because I'm a Princess, I have to act all pretty and perfect. I hate it!"_

"_Don't you dare cut off your hair," Bulma yelled, her voice rising in volume. "If you do, you'll be grounded and I'll stop your allowance."_

_Vegeta would never allow Bra to be grounded and have her allowance taken away and they both knew it. The last time Bulma had taken it away and stopped her from going out, Bra had all but driven Vegeta mad with her constant hassling and begging for him to take her shopping or train with her. After that, Bra had never been grounded again. Knowing this, Bra smirked and finally snapped the scissors close._

_They both watched as large chunks of delicate, silk-soft hair fell to the ground around Bra's feet. Bulma's mouth hung wide and it only made Bra's smirk widen at the look on her mother's face. However, Bulma's shock was soon replaced by anger before she stomped out of the room without a word._

_Sighing, Bra turned back around to look in the mirror as she clipped the rest of her hair until it was more or less even. She had cut off a good eighteen inches and now her hair was just about shoulder length. There were longer strands at the front of Bra's face to be bangs and the girl smiled at her edgy cut. It was shorter at the back and longer at the front, making her oceanic blue eyes glisten with mischief before she set the scissors down in triumph._

* * *

><p>It had been about two years since that day and now her hair reached to the middle of her back. Bra never regretted cutting off all her hair because it was the day she showed her mother that she couldn't be forced to do things she didn't want to do. Her father had found her actions amusing and because of this, he had pretty much had his head bitten off by Bulma. Yes, her actions had been pretty over dramatic and maybe a little uncalled for, but she had gotten her point across.<p>

At the sound of the door opening, Bra looked over her shoulder, but looked back at her book when she saw that it was only Goten. She felt him pause for a second at the door before he tapped her feet, making Bra groan before she moved from her comfortable position of lying on her stomach until she was sitting up with her legs crossed.

When the television was switched on, Bra shot Goten a dark look. He knew that she couldn't read whilst the television was on, it was too distracting. Sure, her attention hadn't been on the book anyway, but Goten didn't need to know that. In return, Goten smirked at her before turning the volume up, making her eyes widen a fraction before narrowing dangerously.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll switch the television off!"

Goten looked at her and simply raised a brow. "What? Did you say something? Sorry, I can't hear you! The television is too loud."

"Idiot," Bra mumbled before snapping her book shut. She knew exactly what page she was on – it was the same page she had been on for the past fifteen minutes. But again, that was something Goten didn't need to know. Before Goten could even react, Bra shot forward with the intent of grabbing the remote.

However, it seemed he had been expecting that as he quickly slipped off of the sofa and stood up, smiling down at her as though he wasn't currently pissing her off.

Once again, Bra's eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared up at him from her position on the sofa. In all honesty, even though they were only play-fighting over a remote control, it was getting her blood boiling and the feeling of a challenge was almost palpable. Finally, Goten must have realised the feeling because he swallowed hard, making Bra smirk devilishly before shooting forward once again.

Bra phased in front of Goten, her smirk widening as he looked down at her in shock. Then, just as she reached for the remote, his hand snapped up into the air, holding it out of reach and making her eyes narrow as she attempted to reach for it before punching him in the stomach.

It was half an hour later when Bra finally got the remote. The recreational room was trashed, they were both out of breath and Goten had some bruises forming on several parts of his body.

"Oh look," Bra breathed as she changed the channel, "my favourite movie is on."

Goten groaned as he saw it was Twilight, yet he couldn't move from his position. At that moment in time, he was stuck watching the movie because he was pinned to the ground with Bra sitting on his back casually, like using somebody as a sofa wasn't strange. It wouldn't be the first time she had done it and knowing Bra the way he did, Goten would be willing to bet that it certainly wouldn't be the last.

As the movie started, Goten started to grow more and more desperate to get Bra off of him. There was a reason why he never watched Twilight with her and not only because he didn't like the movies. It was because-

His thoughts cut off as Bra squealed at the sight of Edward.

_That_ was the reason why he never watched Twilight with Bra. As though that wasn't bad enough, she knew all the words to the first three films, too.

However, his attempts at getting her to move were only half-hearted and they both knew it. If he really wanted to, he could have knocked Bra off of him when she had first pinned him, but Goten couldn't bring himself to do such a thing. The truth was that, despite having to watch Twilight, Goten really did enjoy spending time with Bra.

An hour into the third Twilight film, Goten found himself sitting beside Bra on the sofa. She had let him up after the first movie, but forced him to sit down and watch the other four with her. Goten had acted like he hated the idea, but they could both tell he wasn't too bothered by it. Hell, he started asking questions about the characters during the second film! Why did Edward overreact by pushing Bella into a wall, therefore causing more damage and blood to be spilled? To this, she had all but bitten his head off, telling him that if he hadn't, then Jasper would have killed her. Question after question escaped his mouth and before he knew it, he was hoping that Jacob would end up with Bella.

Bra had demanded to know why he would betray her in such a way (since she was team Edward) and Goten answered that she could have had a much happier life with Jacob despite the fact that he was poor and wouldn't be able to spoil her like Edward could. As well as that, Jacob could give her children and they would live a natural life. What wasn't appealing about something like that?

Of course Bra had a reply to that, it had been slapping him upside the head and telling him to shut up and watch the movie.

By the end of the last movie, Bra was snuggled up to Goten's side with his arm wrapped around her, the both of them sleeping peacefully.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - So, these four chapters weren't all that serious and just to kind of introduce the story, to show you the characters and their relationships. Starting with the next chapter, it's easier to say that shit goes down and the real story starts!  
><strong>

**Anyways, thank you to those who have been reviewing so far!**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	5. The Mission Begins

**Chapter 5 – The Mission Begins**

"_Landing in t minus five minutes_," A robotic version of Bulma's voice spoke through the entire ship.

Bra walked with a fast pace towards the control room where she was greeted by the rest of her group. At that moment in time, Trunks was in the middle of telling them their mission once more to make sure nothing went wrong.

"So, Pan and Bra, you two will take the North side of the planet, Retasu and Goten will take the East side and I will take the South and West, apparently the Princess has been taken into hiding, but we don't know where and we haven't been contacted by the King since we were given our mission." Trunks said as Bra took her place beside him. "We have to keep a low profile and if one of us finds the Princess first, just say so on your scouter. Keep the communication link open at all times in case something goes wrong, got it?"

The group nodded their understanding. Ever since their last mission when Pan had gone psycho and caused a scene, they were told to always leave their scouters on and keep in contact so it would be easier to get a hold of each other if something happened.

"Do you think we'll be fighting?" Retasu asked excitedly, cracking his knuckles as he did so.

Trunks looked up at his friend and nodded seriously. "Most likely. I don't think the King would just ignore us for no good reason."

"How do we know when we've found the Princess? None of us knows what she even looks like!" Pan nearly shouted, her eyes wide with uncertainty.

"I'm pretty sure someone will point us in the right direction, Pan." Bra rolled her eyes. "We _are_ Saiyans, after all."

"Oh yeah," Pan laughed as she scratched the back of her head.

"_Landing in t minus thirty seconds._"

Everyone took their seats as the ship started to descend onto the planet. Once they landed, Trunks and Bra stood in front of the door and waited for it to open.

"Guys, do you feel that?" Goten asked the group as he stood behind Trunks.

Retasu stood so that Pan was in between Goten and himself and looked over her head as he looked at his cousin in confusion, "Feel what?"

"I'm not sure; all I know is the sooner we get off this planet the better!" Goten said as he tried to focus on the disturbed energy. "I don't know what it is, but someone's energy feels… strange."

"It might be the Princess," Bra told them all, her eyes practically shining with the thought of a challenge, "Whoever it is, is in mine and Pan's section so we'll check it out."

Trunks narrowed his eyes as the door slowly opened revealing nothing but destruction on the outside of the ship. It looked like there had been an all–out war! "I don't like the looks of this, guys. Bra and Pan, don't split up whatever you do."

"Trunks, just because we're girls it does _not_ make us weak!"

"It has nothing to do with that, Pan, I know neither of you are weak. But like you said you _are _girls, attractive ones at that, so you will most likely be targeted by males and the strange energy we can feel feels powerful and dark." Trunks sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Trunks knew that almost every male in the Universe would just jump at the chance to mate with his little sister. He had been that told by his father when he was younger and ever since then, he and his father had kept a closer eye on who she was hanging out with.

The group left their ship and scanned the area whilst Trunks capsulized the ship and placed it in his armour, because he was the leader of their squadron the ship was his responsibility.

"Okay, okay, we won't split up." Bra rolled her eyes, "Come on Pan let's go bag us a Princess." She winked suggestively.

"You are so gross, Bra!" Trunks groaned. She was definitely her mother's daughter, they were both so crude.

"Stop acting like you guys' don't love it!" Her voice drifted off as she blasted off into the sky with Pan right behind her, both leaving nothing more than a blue and white trail of light behind them.

Trunks nodded once at Goten and Retasu before he took off.

* * *

><p>"Pan, you look in this village and I'll take the next. It's about a hundred miles ahead." Bra shouted over the wind.<p>

Pan looked at her friend like she had gone crazy. "But Trunks said–"

"Yeah well _I'm_ saying we split up, I want to get off of this planet as soon as possible!"

"Fine," Pan sighed in defeat. There really was no point in trying to argue with Bra when she had made a decision. "But if I get blamed for this I'm going to kill you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Bra rolled her eyes as she sped up and left Pan behind.

* * *

><p>'<em>No! What are they doing?' <em>Trunks thought angrily to himself. He had heard the entire conversation between Pan and Bra because of their scouters. He had specifically told them not to split up and what's the first thing they do as soon as they fly off? They split up.

"God damn it!" Trunks muttered as he scanned what was left of the village for survivors.

It looked like a war had taken place in the small village. Most of the houses were destroyed and there were dead bodies everywhere. Some were wearing ordinary clothes and others were wearing some sort of black cloaks.

Trunks stepped further into the village and when neither he nor his scouter couldn't pick any energy signals up, he took off in the direction of the next village, the uneasy feeling in his gut increasing as he did so.

* * *

><p>"It looks these people were all slaughtered!" Goten exclaimed in obvious disgust.<p>

Retasu walked around a pile of dead bodies and snarled when he saw a child no older than three with a knife in her back. "Whoever it was obviously has no honour. They've even killed innocent children!"

"Hey Retasu look, these guys are all wearing the same black cloaks!"

The older Saiyan followed his cousin over to the bodies that wore the black cloaks and frowned. "What do you think? Do you think that they were the ones who attacked these people?"

"I don't know, but whatever happened here must have been over something serious. Come on, I don't think there are any people alive here. How far away is the next village?"

Retasu pushed a button on the side of his scouter, "About three hundred miles."

"Okay, let's go." Goten nodded and the pair of Saiyans blasted off into the sky.

* * *

><p>Pan had been walking around the large village for what seemed like forever. She had been listening in on the conversations between her comrades and so far hadn't seen any of these 'cloaked men'. What she had seen however, was dead people and destruction everywhere she turned and so far she had only scanned half of the village.<p>

"This is going to take forever," she groaned as she turned another corner.

Suddenly, Pan could feel a weak energy signal somewhere in the village but she couldn't find where. Because of her gift, she could follow an energy signal as easily as counting to five, but for some reason, it seemed to get harder and harder as she walked further into the village. Pan groaned once more as she found another street littered with dead bodies. It wasn't that she wasn't freaked out by the dead because she was; she just had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. She had had the feeling ever since she and Bra split up.

A whimpering noise brought her out of her thoughts and she concentrated hard on the sound. It sounded like a woman although it could be a child. Pan followed the whimpering sound and with every step she took it got louder and louder as the streets got cluttered with even more with dead bodies. Clearly the people had been trying to protect something or some_one_. She started running towards the sound as the feeling in her gut intensified and when she reached her destination, she found a small blonde girl who looked like a human and was no older than ten shivering in the corner and covered in blood. When the young girl saw Pan she started panicking and tried to crawl backwards away from her but was soon stopped by a brick wall. The young girl then closed her eyes tightly as though she was trying to block something out.

"Hey, it's okay. Look, I'm here to help you. What's your name?" Pan asked as she took a slow step forward, her hands raised to show to show she meant no harm.

The girl slowly opened her eyes and looked at Pan, "M–my name is P–Princess Kōkusu."

Pan smiled victoriously as she took another step towards her, "Hi, I'm Pan. I'm one of the Saiyans your King sent for to protect you. What happened here?"

The Princess stood up hesitantly but became more confident when she saw Pan's tail, she was indeed a Saiyan. "I'm not sure," She sniffed, tears filling her eyes as she remembered the awful things that had happened, "one minute mother and I were in my quarters and the next I am here, surrounded by a group of cloaked figures. I screamed for help and soon enough the villagers came to my rescue. I remember seeing death everywhere, men… women… even children were killed as they tried to protect me."

"That's awful! Do you have any idea why anyone would harm your people?"

"Not at all, but I do remember them saying something about this is only the beginning." The Princess said as she broke down into another sob. "They said it's the beginning of the end for the Saiyan and Human Empire."

Pan gasped and pressed a hand to her scouter, "Trunks, did you hear that?"

"_Yes. Take the Princess back to the place where we landed, we will all meet there in two hours. First we should check for more survivors." _

"Okay." Pan nodded sternly, "Princess Kōkusu, can you fly?"

The Princess shook her head slowly. Her race was – _had been_ – a peaceful one; they saw no reason as to why they should fight so never saw the need to learn how to fly.

"Okay, I'm going to have to carry you. Is that okay?"

"That is fine."

* * *

><p>'<em>Damn it Pan, I wanted to find her.' <em>Bra inwardly growled.

From what she had heard, there was going to be a lot more trouble for her father. Recently, Pan's great grandfather, Bardock and a human named Krillin had been having visions, had seen that the Saiyans would be at war with someone but they never saw their faces. However from what they _could_ see, they were ruthless and didn't particularly care for the Saiyan and Human race or their Empire, or even anyone else for that matter.

Only Bardock, Krillin and the Royal family knew of this so far because her father didn't want to cause an up rise in the Empire. If people heard that there was going to be a war, they would end their alliance with the Saiyan and Human Empire and break away from it so their planets would remain untouched. Which would mean the Empire would get smaller and smaller until eventually, it would be no more than Vegeta–sei and Earth. Earth and Vegeta–sei would always be connected now because of her mother and father.

Hearing a strange noise from the village below her, Bra frowned and descended down into the street.

"Hello?" Bra called out as she strutted through the village. "Is anyone out there? I'm here to help!"

She walked further and further into the village until she was surrounded by nothing but destroyed buildings and piles of dead bodies. The noise stopped when she reached a dead end. Frowning to herself, she spun back around quickly and came face to face with a tall figure in a black cloak.

"W–who are you?" Bra stuttered as she tried to take a step back. There were no more than five inches in between her and the stranger and out of basic, survival instinct she immediately wanted to put more space between them.

The cloaked figure copied her and took a step forward, ignoring her attempts at trying to put more space between them. The energy the cloaked figure was giving off was over whelming her senses and it felt as though she was drowning in his deadly aura.

"You're the one we sensed on the ship!" She said quickly when she felt the cloaked figure's energy completely surrounding her. It was suffocating and it felt as though she was staring at pure evil.

Before she could react the figure shot a lilac beam at her scouter and knocked the Saiyan Princess unconscious before retreating back to his hide out with her in his arms.

* * *

><p>The blue haired Queen screamed as the pain in her stomach intensified tenfold. When a warm hand touched her arm, she sat up in bed quickly and moved away from the person touching her.<p>

"Woman, what the hell are you doing?" Vegeta asked, looking rather annoyed as he sat up in bed.

Bulma's panting calmed slightly, "B–Bra." She gripped her stomach tighter and whimpered as the pain got worse. It felt like all of her muscles were cramping and twisting around. She had never felt pain like it before and she knew for a fact that it was her motherly instincts kicking in. Bulma knew for a fact that her daughter was in trouble.

"What are you going on about? She's fine."

Bulma got out of bed as fast as she could whilst clutching a tight hold on her stomach. "No Vegeta, she's not. Something… something has happened to her, I just know it."

Vegeta watched as his mate flew into the wardrobe and pulled on a loose dress. "How can you tell?"

"_I just can_!" She yelled. Vegeta was quite taken back by her sudden outburst, she sounded so desperate and worried.

She had only ever felt panic and pain like this twice before. It had been during her pregnancies with Trunks and Bra. Before Trunks, Bulma had been pregnant three times but each time, she either miscarried or her babies were stillborn. When she was almost due to give birth to Trunks, Bulma had received crippling stomach pains quite similar to what she was feeling now and it terrified her. There had been rumours that perhaps the Queen was infertile and incapable of having children and at some point, she believed them. It had been around ten years after marrying Vegeta that she had finally fallen pregnant with Trunks and the fact that it had taken so long made Bulma feel insecure and way, _way_ overprotective about her unborn child. What she – and a lot of others – had thought was another miscarriage or another devastation of losing another child, turned about to be early labour. When she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Bulma had sobbed tears of joy and thanked the Kais for her miracle.

Around four years later, Bra was conceived and she went back into her overprotective and insecure mode. They had been on the planet Earth when, during an argument with Vegeta, Bulma collapsed as pain overwhelmed her. When she woke up, she was in a hospital and Vegeta was leaning against the far wall with a scarily empty mask, his mind had been fiercely guarded and Bulma couldn't read any of his emotions. Getting the wrong idea, Bulma had started to sob uncontrollably as pain, panic and sadness filled her entire being.

That was when she heard the sounds of a new born baby.

Bulma could remember every single detail about that day and she hadn't missed how Vegeta's entire demeanour had changed the second their daughter was brought into the room.

The nurse that had brought Bra back to her mother and told Bulma how there had been complications and how they had to place Bra into an incubator. However, when Bra was being examined, it had turned out that the incubator wasn't necessary but they would prefer it if they kept the two of them in for observations. Vegeta had been acting the way he had because he didn't like being separated from Bra. Bulma had learned that the second he let his guard down when he saw Bra and it made her smile.

Right now, Bulma was feeling the panicky, pained feeling return tenfold.

"Calm down, Bulma. We can't do anything whilst you're screeching like a banshee." Vegeta grumbled. He picked up his scouter from his bedside cabinet and placed it over his ear; as soon as it was on he called his son.

It only rang once.

"Trunks, what the hell is going–"

"_Father, it's Bra… she's missing."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN – It gets better, I promise. Rereading this chapter made me cringe in some parts, but I just don't know how to change it or make it better. I've re-written it like two or three times and I keep getting more and more annoyed with it!  
><strong>

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	6. Missing

**Chapter 6 – Missing**

It felt like she couldn't breathe.

It was as if the air was too thick, too humid, too _contaminated_. She just wanted to be able to breathe but she _couldn't_ _breathe._

Desperately, she turned her head to the side only to find that she was pinned to a metal table by straps. Her breathing became more frantic as she noticed that she was completely naked and seeing this, her heart felt as though it was going about a hundred miles a minute, like it was going to burst out of her chest. All she could think about was the pain. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was like thousands of knives were sticking into every inch of her body, cutting and grazing her beautiful skin. Bra moved her head back so that she was facing the ceiling. Trying desperately to calm her breathing, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths.

Once she had calmed her breathing down, she took another look around the room. If it wasn't for her Saiyan eyesight, she probably wouldn't have been able to see a thing. It was not an ordinary room – it looked more like torture chamber. Her eyes started to water as she realised that this could be it. She could very well be slowly and painfully killed right here and now all because she was half Saiyan.

Her thoughts drifted to her family and friends. Were they looking for her? Did they care? What happened to Pan? Was she safe? Did she feel guilty? What about her brother, or her parents?

She was dragged from her thoughts as she heard footsteps coming towards her cell and Bra listened intently as they stopped right outside the door and waited for a few seconds. As the door opened, a tall pink alien came through the door. Bra recognised the alien from somewhere, but she couldn't for the life of her, remember where from.

"I see you are finally awake." The pink alien said in a deep voice that sounded more like a growl as he closed the door behind him.

Bra glared at the alien that was holding her captive but didn't say a word as he looked her up and down like he was thinking of over a thousand things to do to her. The sad thing about it was she was sure he would be able to do whatever he wanted to her.

"So you're not much of a talker, huh?"

There was nothing but silence.

The tall pink alien grew agitated that he couldn't get the Saiyan Princess to talk so he walked across the room to the table she was tied to; Bra didn't take her eyes off of him for a second.

"I'll get you to talk one way or another you spoilt little brat. If you don't speak then you sure as hell will scream." He smirked.

Over her dead body would she ever give that over grown bastard the satisfaction of hearing her scream! It had been a part of her training that her father had taught her. You must never give your enemy the pleasure of hearing you voice your pain or grief, no matter what the situation was. No matter what they yell at you, how they touch you, how they beat you, you must _never_ cry out. That would make them feel like they are in control and they must _never_ feel like they have control of the situation.

At that moment however, she didn't know how long she could last until she cried out as the pink alien stroked her inner thigh and smirked evilly. Her tail tightened itself around her waist instinctively and Bra tried to think of a happy moment, a better place, anywhere but where she currently was.

"You're a pretty little thing aren't you?" The alien spoke in a husky tone, purposely trying to make her cry out or whimper. "I wonder what it would be like to feel your body against mine… moving with mine…"

Bra glared at the pink alien with all the hatred she could muster. It didn't take much effort. She had _a lot _of Vegeta in her and it helped that she looked exactly like her mother.

"Well, let's begin with our little session, shall we?"

* * *

><p>"Trunks, I am <em>so <em>sorry, I shouldn't have let her leave. I should have followed her. I should… I should have never let her go!" Pan broke down into sobs as she apologised for the umpteenth time.

It was the first time anyone in the group had seen her so upset. As far as they knew, Pan never cried. Even as a baby she barely ever cried. They had seen her happy and they had seen her angry, but never in their lifetimes had they seen her cry. It was weird. None of them knew what to do or where to look.

"Pan, I don't blame you. I know my sister probably would have tied you to a tree or something if you tried to follow her." Trunks sighed, but it didn't stop her sobbing though.

"It doesn't make any difference! You told us… you told us not to split up and now l-look what has happened." The tears were falling down her face fast as she thought about what could be happening to her best friend.

Trunks pulled her into a tight hug, "Pan. Please don't cry. My sister is a lot stronger than what she has been given credit for; she would surprise you by what she can withstand. I assure you, she _will _be fine."

"How do you know?" Her voice sounded muffled as she soaked his armour with her tears.

The small group had released a spare space pod from its capsule and sent the Princess of Spelpicarn to Vegeta-sei. After Trunks had informed his father about what had happened, he was surprised that he could even hear. His mother had taken the scouter from his father and screamed all sorts of obscenities through it, whilst as far as he could tell, his father was frozen in shock and unable to talk. Since then, they had been non-stop searching for Bra. It was like she had just vanished into thin air! All they had found was her smashed scouter on the ground and a few drops of blood, but that was all.

He couldn't answer Pan's question because honestly, Trunks didn't know.

And it scared him so, _so_ much.

* * *

><p>It had been three days. Three days since her baby girl had gone missing. Three days since her worst fears had been confirmed and become reality. She didn't know what to do or think. All Bulma could do was stare at the wall of the throne room as her husband screamed and yelled at each and every warrior to get out there and find his only daughter.<p>

On numerous occasions she had been asked what she thought they should do, if she can track anything in her lab, but Bulma just ignored anyone who asked her questions. It was like the calm before the storm, like at any moment she could just snap and lose it.

And she did.

* * *

><p>His father had contacted him via his scouter a day after his sister went missing, demanding he returned to Vegeta-sei to aid in the search for her. He refused. It was <em>his <em>fault she was missing, not Pan's, _his._ Trunks knew what his sister was like, if she was told not to do something, she would purposely go ahead and do it just to annoy him and show him that he couldn't control her.

Every hour, they would all scan the small planet but every time they found nothing, no traces, no nothing. He couldn't even sense her anymore and she wasn't answering his mental calls and thoughts.

Goten arrived back from his run of the planet with a defeated and broken look. Over the past couple of days, he had been growing much more desperate to find Bra and when he couldn't move any longer, he would sit away from the rest of them, staring at nothing and seeming lost in his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Trunks, I couldn't find her."

"Maybe your father is right, Trunks, maybe it would be best if we-"

Trunks turned on his friend Retasu and glared at him. "I am not leaving this planet until I have found my little sister. Is that clear?" Nobody had seen him look so angry and… so _feral_. If it wasn't for the lavender hair and blue eyes, he would have looked exactly like Vegeta when the King was extremely pissed off.

"Come on, Retasu, we can't just leave her. It's obvious she's still on the planet because we would have seen or even felt a ship take off!" Goten argued. He had known Bra ever since she was born and like her older brother, he vowed to protect her until the day he died. Just the thought of her being in pain hurt him.

It had taken two hours to calm Pan down and even now she was close to breaking point, but then again, they all were. "What if it was that person with the strange ki?" She whispered.

Everyone fell silent.

"God damn it! Why didn't I think of that?" With that, Trunks blasted off into the sky with the rest of them following behind.

* * *

><p>He just couldn't believe it.<p>

No, he _refused_ to believe it.

His only daughter, the first and only Princess of Vegeta-sei was still missing. He didn't know where she was or what was happening to her, but she wasn't dead, that much he did know.

His mate had completely lost it. At first she just stared at the wall like an idiot for hours on end and then just like that, she snapped. She went absolutely crazy; the look in her eye alone told you she was beyond angry, she was livid. Bulma had torn apart most of the throne room, her power level spiked to new levels and no matter how hard everyone tried, nobody could detain her. It was like she was lashing out at an invisible enemy or trying to look under anything and everything to find her daughter. Vegeta eventually had to knock her unconscious before her mind turned fragile and unstable again just like it had thirty years ago. Her inner may be dead, but he still wasn't going to risk a repeat.

She had killed over fifteen men and injured dozens of warriors who all now had to be sent to the regeneration tanks, but he understood how she felt. If he could, he would kill every single living thing in the entire Universe until he found his daughter. It wouldn't help, but it would release some of his anger and frustration.

What if Trunks did find his daughter and she was in a messed up state? They didn't have any of those senzu beans with them, he wasn't even sure if their ship had a regeneration tank on it and if it did he just prayed to whoever was listening that they wouldn't need it.

* * *

><p>Bulma sat up on her king sized bed and just stared out in front of her lifelessly. She knew her daughter was strong, one of the top ten strongest warriors in the Universe, but she was still waiting for her son to return with the bad news. The pain in her stomach had completely disappeared and now it just felt like she had a hole in her heart.<p>

Silently, she got out of bed and looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't even recognise herself. Her skin was a sickly pale colour and the dark circles under her eyes made it look like she was recovering from a broken nose whilst her once white dress looked like Bulma had been bathing in blood.

She couldn't be bothered changing her clothes, she couldn't even be bothered to move. Was this how her life was going to be from now on without her daughter, without her baby girl?

* * *

><p>"Come on Trunks, you need to calm down. You'll never be able to concentrate on that guy's ki if you're so tense and wound up." Pan soothed. She had completely snapped out of her little episode from earlier on when she had the idea that it may have been the disturbed ki all along and this mission may have been a trap. "He keeps trying to mask his energy, but something that feels as disgusting as his energy signal is difficult to ignore. It's understandable why-"<p>

Goten flew slightly faster as he interrupted Pan. "I've got him guys! He's about fifty miles south of here."

It had now been five whole days since Bra had gone missing, five whole days of endless searching. None of them were willing to give up. They had to return to Vegeta-sei with the Princess, they just had to.

After what felt like an eternity of flying, but was in fact two days, the group of Saiyans landed besides a small building that seemed to have been undamaged in the riots. They couldn't believe they had never noticed it before! It seemed so out of place next to this baron waste land. But perhaps it was just the stress getting to them; it would explain why Pan couldn't use her gift properly and focus on the energy.

Slowly, they lowered their kis to almost non-existent and pushed open the wooden door. One after the other they all walked silently down the hallway. There was only one door in the entire building so Trunks and Goten stood on either side of the door and listened to make sure that this was their guy.

"_Still not screaming for me, huh?" _The faceless deep voice chuckled darkly. "_Well I have to admit it. You are pretty impressive. I think I have done every act of torture I know and you still won't scream." _

Goten and Trunks exchanged a glance of disgust at the thoughts of what this monster could have done to the Saiyan Princess. Even though he should have been thinking about more important things, Trunks felt proud of his younger sister that she hadn't given her attacker the satisfaction of hearing her screams of pain.

"_Oh my, how could I forget your precious tail? You kept it so tightly around your tiny little waist that I completely forgot about it." _He chuckled again.

"That's it; I'm not letting him touch her tail!" Pan hissed as she moved forward but was stopped by Retasu. "What are you doing? Do you want him to hurt her even more?" She whispered with as much venom as she could.

Just as she finished her sentence a blood curdling scream filled the air. It was so loud and pain filled that you could almost _taste_ it. It sent shivers down each of the Saiyan's spines and clawed at their ear drums.

Trunks automatically burst through the wooden door at the sound of his sister's pain and glared in disgust at the pink alien that had a tight grip on his sister's tail. It looked like he was in the middle of tying it in a knot.

"You must be Trunks, the whore's older brother. How sweet." He smirked. "Have you come to save your baby sister?"

"Yes, I am Prince Trunks and that whore, as you call her, is the Princess of all Saiyans. You _will_ show her some respect." Trunks growled. His sister looked like she had been caressed by chainsaws and it was almost impossible to see her armour.

After a few seconds, Trunks noticed she wasn't wearing any armour.

He lunged.


	7. Rescuing The Princess

**Chapter 7 – Rescuing The Princess**

"Pan, get Bra out of here now!" Goten yelled and ducked out of the way as the alien's large body went flying over his head and through the wall.

He looked back at the hole in the wall in astonishment. If the walls were that thin how could they have not heard Bra screaming for help? Her scream when they arrived outside the door was so loud that he actually thought she was going to burst his ear drums! Then he remembered what the alien had said. '_I think I have done every act of torture I know and you still won't scream.' _Goten shuddered.

Pan stepped through the hole and looked around the room frantically until she found her friend. There was not one inch of her skin that wasn't covered in blood, vomit or dirt and it didn't take her nearly as long as it had taken Trunks to realise she was completely naked. Feeling disgusted, she grabbed the nearest thing she found and took it over to Bra and started to release her from her restraints.

"Bra, here take this." Pan whispered as she wrapped the black blanket around her tightly, making sure she wasn't exposed anymore.

Trunks and the pink alien were exchanging blow for blow but it appeared that the Saiyan Prince had the upper hand as he charged a blue ki blast and threw it towards the alien. He had no time to dodge Trunks's attack so he took it head on which turned out to be a big mistake, as it may not have been powerful enough to kill him, but it did seriously injure him and distracted him. Trunks charged towards the alien and delivered a powerful kick to his head, making it snap to the side.

"You little brat!" he yelled and raised his fist but before he could do anything about it, Trunks released another bright blue ki blast but this time into his face.

Because of the last attack, the alien had no chance of surviving the current attack whatsoever. His large body fell to the floor with a loud thump and Trunks glared down at the headless body with an evil glint in his eye. Nobody hurts his little sister and got away with it.

"Bra," Trunks whispered. He quickly flew towards his little sister to find Pan wrapping a black blanket around her badly beaten and dirty body, "Bra, what happened?"

She was completely silent; she didn't even take her eyes off of the floor below her to look at him. Trunks lifted her chin with his hand but when she cringed away from his touch, he frowned slightly. The look in her eyes was almost like she wasn't even there in that room with them; her eyes were glassed over and out of focus, as if she was there physically but completely gone mentally.

"She must have just spaced out man, I can't blame her. But we need to get her out of here now and back to Vegeta-sei." Retasu spoke softly but firmly.

Trunks nodded and picked his sister up gently, ignoring her weak attempts of pushing him away. He kept her close to him so there was no chance in dropping her or her blanket falling off and took off into the sky.

* * *

><p>"King Vegeta." An elite warrior bowed before the King. "We have some news."<p>

Vegeta awoke from his trance and glared at the warrior from his throne, causing him to shrink back. "What is it?" he snapped.

"Prince Trunks has found the Princess, sir."

The King stood up immediately and left his throne room and headed towards his and the Queen's quarters to find his mate. This was definitely something she would want to know. He didn't listen for a full report; by the tone in the Elite warrior's voice it was obvious she was alive. That was all that mattered to him. His daughter was alive and now that she was with her squadron, she would be safe.

* * *

><p>It had been almost two whole days in space and Trunks refused to let his little sister out of his sight. As he set the coordinates to return to his home planet and contacted Vegeta-sei, he ordered Pan and Goten to clean her up in the medical bay and then take her to her quarters. Ever since then, he has been sat beside her bed watching her every movement. He would never let his sister out of his sight again.<p>

During the night he had to wake her up several times, as she was clearly having intense nightmares. She would scream and attack invisible opponents but after she attacked them she began attacking herself. She pulled at her aqua hair, scratched and bit herself and then she would wake up like nothing had happened and go back to not speaking.

When there was a timid knock at her bedroom door, she didn't even blink or show any signs that she even acknowledged it. Trunks eyed her carefully as he stood up and walked towards the door and when he opened it, it was to find Pan smiling up at him sadly with a couple of trays full of food and a couple of bottles of water balanced carefully on her arms and hands. "Here, you both need to eat and-"

Before she could say anything more, Trunks slammed her into the wall opposite of Bra's room with him crushing her between them at full force. He pushed away from Pan at once so that he didn't crush her completely.

"Trunks, what the hell was that for?" Pan screamed and clutched her head with her now free hand.

Ignoring her, Trunks turned quickly to see Bra's door slam shut and heard the lock twist. "God damn it, Bra!" he yelled as he banged loudly against the door.

Once Pan had realised what happened, she dropped the last remaining tray to the floor and ran to the door, banging at full strength. "Bra, open the door! This isn't funny."

"It's no use, Pan," Trunks sighed as he leaned against the door and slid to the floor, "my mother made these doors so we could each have our own privacy. You can only unlock it from the inside."

Pan's eyes widened. "That's ridiculous! What if there was an accident?" She knelt down beside him as he shook his head and shrugged helplessly.

* * *

><p>She stared into the darkness as the banging on her door finally ended.<p>

Bra could just about hear the voices of her brother and best friend but she couldn't care less, she didn't care if they were upset with her because of her actions or that they wanted to know what happened to her. She didn't want to speak to anyone, especially her brother. He would most likely say to her '_Well Bra, how can I say this in the nicest and most easy way possible? I told you so_!' Just the thought alone was enough to annoy her but instead she focused on what had happened and the information she had learned.

The scent of her favourite fruity soap overpowered her sensitive Saiyan senses, making Bra look down at herself in confusion. When did she get dressed? Or when did she get washed? And then Bra realised that she didn't care. She didn't care that she had been stripped naked, she didn't care that she was beaten to a bloody pulp or that he had cut almost every part of her body and left her soaking in her own blood and vomit among other things.

There was just one thing on her mind. One little word: revenge.

But thanks to her brother, she could never get her revenge for what he did to her, for all the shit he had put her through. Now all she can hope for was that they would one day meet his boss, his precious 'master' that he kept droning on and on about. And then she would take her anger and pain out on him.

Images from the past couple of days flooded her mind. As much as she wanted to get rid of them Bra knew that she couldn't. They would be there forever; permanently carved into her brain just like he had said they would be. She wasn't surprised really. With the stuff she had been through in the past couple of days, it wasn't at all surprising that she wouldn't be able to forget. It was like an annoying song you hear only once but it's then stuck in your head, repeating itself over and over again and there was no way to get it out of your head.

Through all the pain and anger she felt, she mostly felt ashamed, ashamed because she had let down her father and people because she screamed. She had lasted so long without screaming but as soon as the sick bastard grabbed her tail, it was all over. It was like the whole five days of receiving torture and the pink alien trying to make her scream meant nothing.

She had failed.

Bra was brought out of her dark thoughts and brought back into her now pitch black room by a light knock on her door. It looked like she had been sat there for hours. Like all of the other times, Bra decided she would just ignore it.

"Bra, come on you gotta at least have some water." A muffled voice spoke from outside of the door. "If you won't do it for yourself then at least do it for Trunks… or Goten. They're in a lot of p-"

Bra threw the door open in a fit of fury and with fire burning in her eyes she glared at the person before her, earning herself a shudder of fear from him. "Don't you _dare_ say that they are in pain! They have no idea, no _fucking_ idea what pain is." She screamed loudly, her voice cracking from disuse and echoing through the entire ship.

Retasu looked at Bra in astonishment; he had never seen her look so angry before. "I didn't mean to-"

"Whatever. Just leave me alone." She replied in a soft and deadly voice before slamming the door shut in his face, leaving him stood there dumbfounded.

Trunks ran through the ship when he heard his sister yelling. Had she finally snapped out of her daze? Her being absolutely pissed at everyone was better than her acting like a zombie and just sitting on her bed, staring at the wall opposite her with an empty expression. It took him less than a minute to arrive in front of her door to see Retasu stood there, completely frozen.

"What happened?" Trunks demanded. His sister did not need someone annoying her right now; no matter how much good they had meant to do.

Retasu turned his head to look at his Prince and shrugged. "I don't know, I brought her some water and she flipped."

"What do you mean she flipped? What the hell did you say to her?" Goten shouted as he got closer to the two. He had also heard Bra, word for word, so he knew Retasu was lying. She wouldn't just flip on someone for not saying anything, even in the state she was in now she still wouldn't do that, it wasn't like her at all.

"I didn't say anything to her, man. I just said that if she won't eat or drink for herself, then she should at least do it for Trunks or you because you're both in a lot of pain because of seeing her in pain."

Trunks turned towards his friend and ran a trembling hand through his lavender hair, "Are you really that stupid?" He yelled, as his anger rose to new heights, so did his voice. "How the hell can you compare our pain to hers? None of us, not one single one of us knows what happened to her in that room."

"I didn't think," Retasu said. He really didn't and he hadn't expected to see the Saiyan Princess react that way or to see her completely flip on him. He was hurt. He thought they were friends, if not more than that.

"No you never do, do you?" Trunks spat as he turned and quickly left the hallway, he needed to take his mind off of everything and the only way to do that would be to train. He was very much like his father that way.

Retasu stared at the place where his friend had left in shock, not only was the Princess pissed at him but now so was the Prince. What did he do to deserve this?

"Don't take any notice man; Bra's not Bra at the minute and he's upset because he can't do anything to help her." Goten said quietly.

The taller warrior looked up at the other Saiyan and glared. "I don't give a shit," He said in an empty and cold voice. If they were going to be like that with him, then he would be like that with them. He was not a slave to be bossed around and spoken to like crap, he was a warrior.

Goten rolled his eyes and waited for his cousin to leave. Once he did, he gently knocked on the door in front of him, "B… it's me, Goten. Will you let me in please?" He spoke softly before smiling sadly. "I'll even let you have my share of chocolate?"

There was no answer. That line used to always work on her. Whenever he would want something or he couldn't be bothered to do something himself or even when he just wanted to get rid of her, he would always say 'you can have my share of chocolate' or 'I'll let you have my ice cream' and she would literally be putty in his hands. But now, it hadn't worked and he had no idea what to do. It felt like it was tearing him up on the inside.

After figuring out that after ten minutes he wasn't going to be getting a reply, he sighed heavily and walked away towards the training room to spar with Trunks.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - HAPPY EASTER!  
><strong>

**You can probably tell that this is some of my earlier work. I started writing this whilst I was writing 'Battle of the Empires'. Actually, I think I started this before I started _that_. I'm trying to edit it as best as I can, though. I've re-written this chapter like two or three times, but I can't get it any better than this.  
><strong>

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	8. Return Of The Princess

**Chapter 8 – Return Of The Princess**

"Trunks!" Bulma shouted as soon as her son left the ship. "Trunks, where is your sister?"

"She refuses to leave her room, no matter how hard we tried; she wouldn't eat or leave for even a few seconds." Trunks said as he looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, mother."

Bulma looked at her husband who was glaring at the opening in the ship. It was obvious that he wanted his daughter to come out and show them that she was fine after they had all been put through hell. They had been left a message saying that she refused any contact with anyone but they thought that after two weeks she would be back to normal.

How wrong they were.

* * *

><p>Pain.<p>

Every single part of her body was in pain.

Every night since she had left that God forsaken planet she would try her hardest not to fall asleep because the nightmares were too much for her to handle. Every night the creep who had kidnapped her would appear as soon as she had fallen asleep. One minute she would be sitting watching a dumb movie with her friends, having a laugh… and the next she would be completely alone in a dark room screaming out for someone to help her, she just wanted somebody to free her.

Bra would sit in the dark, refuse to eat, barely drink the bottles of water left outside her door and she would sit for hours on end staring at herself in the mirror, feeling disgusted with herself, because deep down Bra knew it was all her fault. If she had just listened to her brother, if she had just listened to Pan, she wouldn't be like this right now. She would not have had the things that happened, happen to her.

It was all her fault.

By the end of her second week of travelling back to Vegeta-sei, Bra had smashed all of her mirrors and placed sheets over her windows so that she wouldn't have to look at her reflection. Her brother and friends would always leave a tray of food outside her door, three times a day, but every time she ignored it. After the first couple of days she had learned to ignore the aching pain in her stomach as it demanded that she give her body the nutrition it needed.

That was her punishment for herself.

She would starve herself. It was the only way she knew how to lose her womanly figure so that she wouldn't be considered as attractive anymore by people throughout the Universe. Bra wanted them to despise her looks just as she did, she wanted them to look away from her in disgust but most of all she just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? The thought was almost painful. Everywhere she went she would have boys and men staring at her with their mouths hanging open and their eyes filled with the unmistakeable lust. Women would stare at her with so much envy and hatred that she was sure they wanted to skin her alive right there and then.

She wished they would.

Her pain was not only mentally but it was physically also. Just walking to the bathroom hurt like hell so Bra had cut down to only using the bathroom once a day, which wasn't too bad considering how she never ate and barely drunk enough for her body to produce anything. She knew it wasn't healthy and that her family, her friends, her people would despise her for putting herself through so much but her body didn't deserve the luxuries of food or water, _she _didn't deserve them.

There were moments where she just wanted to go running to her big brother or to her friends and cry her eyes out but as soon as she reached the door of her quarters, the thought of leaving the safety and comforts of her room was almost unbearable. _He _could be waiting somewhere on the ship for her, just waiting for her to leave her room so that he could attack her the moment she left. Or he could slip inside of her dark room and hide in its shadows as she leaves.

Bra knew it would be just as easy as it had been the first time to take her. She still had the God damned ki restraints attached to her neck and wrists. She hadn't noticed them until the third day of her solitude. She had been staring in the mirror at her reflection for hours, scanning every section of her body for new bruises, new burns or tears of her skin. When she had tried to remove the restraints, she found them unbreakable.

Bra was sure that if that coward hadn't have taken away her strength or her ki, she could have easily of taken him down. But instead he chose to be a weakling and nothing more as he gripped tighter on to her tail and hit her across the head until he knocked her unconscious. When she had woken up, she was strapped to that cold, metal table covered in straps and ki restraints.

The Saiyan Princess would scream out in pain in her nightmares, begging for her big brother to save her, begging for her father to come save her!

She just wanted someone – anyone – to come and save her.

She just wanted the pain to stop.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean she refuses to leave her room?" Bulma all but screamed angrily at the four stood before her.<p>

Trunks stepped forward and raised his arms to comfort her, but he just left them frozen in mid-air. He honestly had no idea what to do in situations like these. Did anyone?

"I'm sorry; we tried our best to convince her to leave. We left food outside her door hoping she would at least try to eat something but each time we returned the food was left untouched." Pan spoke sadly.

She had not taken a liking to the person her best friend had become. She missed the feisty, crude, funny, intelligent and beautiful person she used to be. Now it was as though she was an empty shell, a former shadow of herself. Bra wouldn't even come out of her room for just a second!

Bulma turned to her husband, fresh tears in her helpless eyes. "V-Vegeta you... you have to do something!" she sobbed as she clutched onto his armour and begged. "You have… you have to help my baby girl!"

Vegeta glared at passing Saiyans who dared to watch their Queen lose it once again. It wasn't the first time she had let her emotions get the better of her, but this time had to be one of the worst. He had never seen Bulma look so… helpless and defeated. It was killing him inside to see her in such a way, especially since he felt everything she did.

"Woman, let go of me." he didn't mean for it to sound as harsh as it did.

Bulma looked up at him and saw he didn't mean it the way he said it. Silently, she untangled herself from him and tried to get a hold of herself, if not for her, then for her children. They needed her, Bra needed her. Bulma could only imagine the pain and torture she must have been put through.

Vegeta started walking towards the ship when Trunks yelled out, "Father, it's no use. She has that damned door locked and you can only open it from the inside."

"Who told you that?" Bulma asked, looking confused as she eyed Vegeta turning slowly to face them.

Pan looked at Trunks with an annoyed expression. "I told you your mom wouldn't have installed a door like that!"

"Wait so you_ can _open it from the outside?" Goten spoke, suddenly sounding hopeful.

Bulma nodded slowly at the teens before her. "Yes, but I think it should only be Vegeta, myself and Trunks here when she comes out… you guys understand, don't you? She might not want an audience when we bring her back to the palace."

"Of course, we totally understand." Pan smiled at her Queen.

Retasu and Goten nodded. "Just let her know we're thinking about her and that if she ever needs anything she knows where we are." Goten smiled.

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the group before him and turned on his heel back towards the ship, wondering how and when the Saiyan race became so sentimental. Of course he already knew the answer to that. They were all somehow related to Kakarot. If they weren't his brats then they were his nephews and grandchildren. The idiot was like a disease!

Bulma nodded her agreement to the younger Saiyans and ran to catch up with her husband.

"Trunks, if _you_ ever need anything you know where we are." Pan spoke softly. She had seen how broken up he was even though he tried to hide it.

The Saiyan Prince smiled at his friends and nodded before turning to follow his mother and father.

* * *

><p>The Royal family all but ran through the ship towards their Princess's room. Vegeta's cape billowed behind him as he stormed through the ship with his mate on his heels and his son not too far behind. He knew his only daughter must have had a worse time than any one of them could ever imagine but it didn't mean she could block them out or push them away. She needed to face her fears and what had happened to her head on.<p>

As they reached her room they each noticed it was quiet, almost _too _quiet.

The eerie silence was almost deafening as Vegeta walked towards his daughter's door and knocked.

No answer.

He knocked louder and growled at his child's ignorance. He knew she knew they were out there and it angered him that she dared ignore him.

Like before, there was no answer.

Then suddenly, almost frightening the life out of Bulma and Trunks, there was a piercing scream that made the two Saiyans feel as though their ears were bleeding.

"Woman, open the damned door_ right now_." he demanded as he turned towards his mate who nodded her agreement. It didn't take her long, only a few minutes, before the door swung open revealing an extremely dark room where the screaming seemed to be even louder.

"Father, I don't think mother should go in there just yet." Trunks spoke before either of them could walk in to the painfully loud room.

Bulma spun so fast she was a blur before all but screaming, "_What_?"

"You didn't see her like I did, mom. I don't want you to have to see her that way."

"She's my baby girl. _My _daughter._ She needs me_!" Bulma yelled although she knew it would do no good. She knew deep down that she wouldn't want to see her only daughter this way.

"He's right, Bulma. You have been an absolute wreck just thinking about what may have happened to her."

Bulma looked at her husband like he had struck her. She had never felt so betrayed before in her entire life. She glared at her son and mate dangerously before completely leaving the ship, needing to release some of her anger and frustration out on someone who she could never fatally harm: Kakarot or his son, Gohan.

Vegeta watched the fuming figure of his mate before sighing and turning back to face the now opened door of the dark room. The screaming had stopped by now and in its place was heavy panting.

* * *

><p>Bra had reluctantly fallen asleep before they had landed back on Vegeta-sei. She had lasted four days without sleep before she had to face the inevitable.<p>

* * *

><p><em>It was the same thing every time she unwillingly fell asleep. <em>

_She would be sat around the home cinema room with Trunks, Pan, Goten and Retasu watching a movie, eating popcorn and drinking coke… _

_But this was not like every other time she had done this. _

_Her friends, the members of her squadron, were ignoring her and acting as though she didn't exist. When she had finally had enough and got completely freaked out she stood in front of Pan, their faces only inches apart and yet her best friend looked straight through her as though she wasn't even there. Bra would scream, shout, hell she even sang just to try and get their attention. If they refused to look at her or acknowledge her then her screeching would at least tell them she was there, it would be like when her mother yelled at her or sang off tune… the sound would claw at their ear drums, threatening to burst them at any moment and fill their ears with blood. _

_Bra stared at her friends with a defeated expression. If they didn't know she was there, how could they save her? How could her big brother protect her like he always said he would? She felt betrayed. He had promised he would save her, give his life to protect her, they all had! Yet here they sat, watching a movie without her, not even noticing she was gone. _

_After about half an hour of the torturous waiting game to see if they would ever acknowledge her presence, the edges of her vision blurred. She rubbed her eyes viciously to try and get them to stop but when she reopened her stunningly blue eyes, her friends were gone and she was no longer in the comfort of their ship. Instead she was locked in a pitch black room and strapped onto a cold metal table and completely stripped of her clothes, ki and strength. _

_With her sharp eyesight she searched the room frantically, trying to find some way of escape. She did not want to be here, not now, not ever. She had been here one too many times and before she knew it tears poured from her eyes and burned the cuts on her beautiful face. With all the strength she could muster and her heart beating fast, she tried to pull herself up; she tried like she had never tried before to break the hold of the straps that were pinning her down. But without her ki it was useless, she would never be able to break lose and she would never be able to survive another round of torture without it. _

_That was when she noticed she was no longer alone in the dark room. _

_Her breathing came faster and her eyes widened as he advanced on her. With every step he took the more hysterical she became. She started thrashing as hard as she could but it was pointless. She couldn't move more than an inch. The bonds were holding her against the cold table too tightly. _

_He smirked at his victim and raised his hand and slapped her across the face, _hard_. The pink alien then started to stroke her face softly and took a tight hold of her shoulder with his free hand. _

"_No, get off of me!" she screamed loudly, almost deafening herself in the process as her struggles became more violent, "Not again, _please_ just let me go!" _

_But something new happened; he lowered the hand on her face to her right shoulder and with the hold on both of her shoulders, he started shaking her, gently at first but then more forcefully as her screams became louder and more deafening. _

* * *

><p>Her blood curdling screams could be heard throughout the entire ship and no doubt anyone within a two mile radius would be able to hear her cries for help. They had to find a way to keep her quiet before the Saiyans realised it was their Princess crying out for help, begging for her life, which would lead to them all running to her aid. They needed to get her to shut the hell up before she completely deafened them all.<p>

"Bra, wake up damn it!" Trunks yelled over her screams as he shook her shoulders.

"No, get off of me!" she cried desperately. "Not again, _please_ just let me go!"

Vegeta was frozen by the sound of desperation, pain and fear in his daughter's voice. He hadn't heard the sound of someone begging for their lives in such a way in over thirty years and just the sound of it brought back all of the memories he had long since locked away. The memories of before Trunks and Bra were born. The memories of when the Saiyan and Human Empires first came together to take down the Cold Empire.

Bra's screams became more frantic as she tried to fight off her brother's hold on her.

"Wake up!" Trunks yelled as he shook her harder.

Suddenly, Bra's bright blue eyes flew open. But something was wrong. They were glazed over like she wasn't seeing what was in front of her.

Although she was now somewhat awake she couldn't stop panicking, especially when she realised she was still being held down by something… or some_one_. Everything was a blur as she somehow managed to throw whoever was holding her down off of her, throwing them to the opposite end of the room and straight into the wall. In one fluent moment with sudden speed that she didn't know she possessed, she leaped from the bed and out of the dark room, feeling like she had temporarily gone blind as soon as the light hit her eyes.

She was aware of eyes on her and that she was being followed and in response, Bra pushed herself harder to try and get away from whoever who chasing her. She would _not _go back to that torture room, she refused. No matter how much pain she was in right now, she had to get away.

Bra was so focused on not being caught by the person behind her that she didn't notice the tall figure walking her way until she crashed into them, knocking them both to the floor with her on top. Her panicked eyes darted to the person's face and she instantly felt safe for the first time in weeks.

"Kakarot, please you have to help me. They're trying to kill me!" she cried as she clung onto the shocked Saiyan beneath her.

In one swift movement, Kakarot had jumped up and placed himself in front of the Princess, crouched into a protective stance. The feeling of safety washed over her again as the second strongest Saiyan in the Universe held his protective crouch in front of her, completely ready for the attacker to come flying passed. When Kakarot had seen the bruised and cut up Princess, who had been reported as missing on top of him, begging for him to save her, he immediately sprang into action.

Dread washed over Bra as her 'saviour' straightened his stance and relaxed.

"_What are you doing_?" she screeched so loudly that her voice shook. "He wants to_ kill me_!"

Kakarot turned quickly to face the badly beaten, hysterical Princess with a shocked and confused expression. "Bra, what are you talking about?"

The two figures who had been following her watched the exchange between the two Saiyans, truly shocked and slightly betrayed that she felt safer with a third class warrior rather than with them.

Bra looked up at the two figures stood behind Kakarot and finally realised her mistake. They weren't trying to kill her. They wanted to protect her and keep her safe.

"Daddy?"


	9. I'll Never Leave You, I Promise

**Chapter 9 – I'll Never Leave You, I Promise**

"Daddy?" The sixteen year old whispered in a soft, shaking voice.

Vegeta stared at his daughter as her bruised and cut face flooded with recognition. Although his own expression was empty and on the outside he looked somewhat calm, inside it felt like his heart was being stabbed over and over again as he watched his daughter hide behind another man (who just _had_ to be Kakarot), begging for him to save her from her own father and brother.

Trunks stepped forward hesitantly and held out his hand to his sister. "Bra, what happened?"

Bra stared at her brother's hand but didn't move. Normally when she was upset, her brother would comfort her in any way possible but right now, she didn't want his sympathy or pity. She wanted her brother to stop being so hesitant and careful around her like she was going to break down.

"Nothing." Bra replied coldly. Her face matched her father's as she finally got over the feeling that she was being chased by them.

"That was not 'nothing'." Vegeta said as he narrowed his eyes at his daughter. Why was she lying to him? What didn't she want him to know? Whenever she used to see her father after her missions, she would run into his arms and tell him how much she missed him. Vegeta would always tell her to stop acting like a sentimental fool but deep down he enjoyed holding his only daughter.

"Just leave it!" she yelled as she took off once again.

Kakarot stared at the retreating girl and looked back towards his Prince and King. "Do you want me to go after her?"

Technically, he should be doing that anyway because she was his charge. He used to be her mother's bodyguard ever since she arrived from Earth, however ever since Bra had been born he had been her bodyguard but lately, because she had always been surrounded by Pan, Goten, Retasu or her family, he was never needed and always told he could go train or spend time with his family.

"I think it would be best not to…" Trunks said unsurely, "Father, perhaps mother could speak to her?"

Vegeta folded his arms across his chest. "Yes, because I'm sure her screeching would do a lot of good." he said sarcastically before he took off after his daughter. "I will speak to her, tell your mother what has happened and we will see you at dinner."

* * *

><p>Bra hadn't gotten very far when she sensed she was being followed again but this time she knew it was her father. She turned the corner sharply and ran straight into something. She looked up slowly, fearing the worst but when her blue eyes locked on another pair of blue eyes instead of the red ones she now feared, she sighed in relief.<p>

"Bra," Bulma whispered as she steadied her daughter and took in her bruised, cut and burnt body. Her eyes watered at the sight and horrible thoughts about what could have happened to her flooded her mind. "Honey?"

The Saiyan Princess took a step back and ducked out of her mother's touch before taking off towards her room once again.

Not even a second passed before Vegeta blurred passed the Queen and followed their daughter into her living quarters. Bulma sighed in relief. Her daughter did not look stable in the slightest and if anyone could help her, it would be her father. The two had always been close. In fact Bra was closer to her father than her mother, but sometimes she would choose her mother's advice over his. Bulma could only thank the Gods that she did.

"Brat," Vegeta said coldly as he slammed the door close behind him, "explain what happened."

Bra's eyes darted up to her father in shock. He had _never _used that tone with her before. Sure she had heard it but only when it was used on other people, mostly Trunks or one of the elites. She must have really upset him earlier.

"I do not wish to speak of it," she spoke formally as she straightened up her posture and lifted her chin stubbornly, very much like her mother did.

'_Strike three,' _Vegeta thought to himself.

Ever since she ran off he had been storing the changes in his daughter in his head. Strike one was that she had begged Kakarot to save her from her own brother and father. Strike two was ignoring her brother's attempts at comforting her. And strike three, was her speaking formally. She _never _spoke that way; she always spoke like she was a ditzy American girl from the planet Earth. And even though it annoyed the hell out of him, as no child of his should speak in such a way, Vegeta knew he preferred it greatly to how she was speaking and acting now.

"You _will_ tell me what happened," he almost growled. He would keep her here for hours until she told him.

Bra sighed as her resolve broke and she sunk to her knees. "I–I'm so sorry, daddy," she whispered as tears fell down her cheeks.

A hard lump rose in his throat as he watched his daughter fall to her knees crying, "What for?"

"I couldn't stop him, h–he put his hands on me and I couldn't stop him," she sobbed and clutched her chest. "I screamed. I tried so hard not to b–but I couldn't–"

The King's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Who?" He did not like the sound of where this was going. It was bad enough someone had harmed her, but when she said 'he put his hands on me' he nearly lost it there and then. His primal instincts to protect his pack were almost too much to handle. The need to kill something was so strong that he was literally seeing red.

"H–He said his n–name was… was Buu." she whispered through her sobs. Bra cleared her throat before speaking again. "Majin Buu."

Vegeta froze as the name left her lips. Majin Buu. He knew that name; he knew it all too well. But why had that bastard done this to his daughter? Why was it even alive? The last he heard, it was brain dead and locked away in a place only his master could open and his master was dead! The damn Supreme Kai had said that he made sure of that himself!

When she didn't get a reply, Bra looked up at her father with blurred vision, "Daddy?"

"I will contact your guards to keep watch of you. You are not to leave your room until I return. Is that clear?"

Bra nodded. She was confused as to why her father would order her to do that, but she knew better than to confront him when he had that look in his eye, it was almost dangerous. No, it was pretty much suicidal to get in his face.

Vegeta placed his hand to the side of his scouter and it connected almost instantly. "I want you and Retasu to come to Bra's chambers immediately." he said before disconnecting the call. He looked back at his daughter, "They will be here in a matter of–"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. When he opened it, Goten was stood outside.

"Where the hell is the other clown?"

"Retasu isn't able to come because Trunks is using him as a punching bag…" Goten chuckled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. Vegeta, although he would murder him if Goten ever spoke of it out loud, was like a second father to him in some ways, so he was not as scared of him as the other Saiyans were. However, there were still times when he almost pissed his pants when the King would glare at him.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Of course his son was taking his anger and frustration out on someone; it was something that his father always did. "Whatever." he motioned with his head for the boy to come into the room and nodded his head towards Bra. "She is not to leave the room, do not let anyone but me in the room. I will be back shortly."

And with that, he left.

Goten shifted uncomfortably as he saw the Princess on the floor.

"B, come on." he said softly as he moved towards her.

She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt safer than she had ever felt before, which was strange considering that her father was the strongest in the empire and Goten was only the fifth or sixth strongest. She just stared at the boy she had grown up with, with an empty expression, her eyes and face were still wet from her tears and she was still on her knees.

Feeling wary once again, Goten slowly bent down to help the Saiyan Princess up, but she cringed away from his touch. He couldn't help the look of hurt that showed on his face as he watched his friend lift herself up and sit on her grey leather sofa with a vacant look in her eyes. Goten had seen many looks on the Princess's face before, but never this look. Not even when her mother forced her to study does she look _that _out of it.

"Bra," Goten called, "can I get you anything?"

Bra looked up at the boy who was now kneeling in front of her and was shocked by the sudden closeness of him. She was sure he had been stood by the door not even ten seconds ago. "No." she replied. Her throat was dry and it definitely had an effect on her reply. She sounded as though she hadn't had any water for days.

This was something Goten noticed, but he knew she was too proud to actually ask for anything so he stood back up and left the room for her kitchen. Not even four seconds had passed before he was kneeling in front of her again.

"Come on, Bra, drink this, it'll make you feel better."

The Princess looked him in the eyes and he gasped at what he saw for her eyes held no emotion. Even Vegeta had more emotion in his eyes and that was seriously saying something. "What makes you think anything can help me?" she whispered, sounding completely defeated.

Goten never broke eye contact once, even though he wanted to. This was not Bra. He was angry at her for giving up so easily but he kept himself and his voice calm, as the last thing he wanted to do was scare her. "This is not you, Bra. What happened to the girl we all know and love, huh? The Bra I know would never give up so easily. She would fight until it wasn't physically possible anymore, even when you were younger you never backed down, even–"

She interrupted him, "Just… just stop, please?"

"Not until you tell me what happened to you, Bra. How do you expect any of us to help you if you won't tell us what happened?"

Bra sighed and looked down at the ground, this was not a conversation she wanted to have. "I will tell you but you are not to tell anybody." she whispered. If she had to tell him of every gory detail, she did not want him telling her brother who would then tell her mother and father. Her father knew only a tiny amount of what had happened to her and she wished to keep it that way.

"I won't. You can trust me." he whispered back to her. When they were younger, even though he was her brother's best friend, he would always listen to her problems and give her advice.

* * *

><p><em>Bra groaned in frustration as she left yet another one of her 'dates'. Since she was the first Princess of the Saiyan Empire, it was important that she found a mate who could protect her and produce strong children in case anything happened to Trunks or his heirs. After she refused to look for a mate because of her age and not wanting to settle down, her mother and father were forced by the elders to choose a group of young Saiyan warriors and show them to Bra saying she would be stripped from her title as Princess if she refused anymore. She then had to go on dates with her suitors – there were ten in total – to see who she liked best and then she would have to choose one.<em>

_The date had gone well, it was just the guy. His name was Jīnzu; he was an Elite and only four years older than herself. He was a total ass. When she first arrived he commented on her outfit saying that if people were going to be seeing them together, she could have at least made an effort. She simply replied that he was not worthy of her time and effort and that if it was up to her, which it wasn't, he would not even be in her presence. Well let's just say, Jīnzu wasn't at all pleased with her attitude. In fact, he slapped her across the face with his tail claiming that he didn't know she was behind him instead of next to him. It didn't hurt, but it still bruised her pride and her face. After that, she threw a bright blue ki blast at his back and left saying he was no longer being considered to be her mate. _

_And now here she was. Walking down the empty corridors of one of her father's many palaces. As she turned another corner, she walked straight into a solid surface and fell to the floor, landing with a thud as she did. Bra looked up with narrowed eyes and saw the face of her brother's best friend, Goten. _

"_Bra, what are you doing down there? Aren't you supposed to be out with Jīnzu?" he said the name with disgust. He and Trunks didn't think that he was worthy to even speak her name, let alone be her mate. Even Vegeta didn't like the guy, but he was one of the strongest out of all the elites so therefore was automatically chosen. _

_Bra snarled at the name, "Don't even mention that low life to me." she spat as she picked herself up. _

_Goten looked at her expression once more to see that she was livid. Not only that, but she also had a bruise forming on her right cheek. "What happened to your face?" he asked as he frowned. He knew where the mark had come from, but he wanted to make sure it was him first before he kicked his ass. He saw Bra as someone important to him since he was her brother's best friend and had been around her since the day she was born. When he had turned fifteen he was given the job of being the bodyguard of the eleven year old Princess. He had been her bodyguard for about four years now._

"_It was that idiot! He thought he was worthy of my time and effort so I told him that he wasn't even worthy of my presence let alone effort." she smirked._

_Goten returned her smirk at the thought of her showing up the elite, "So he hit you?" _

"_Looks that way, doesn't it?" Bra snapped _before she smirked once again._ "But I _did_ get the bastard back." _

"_And how did you do that exactly?" _

"_I blasted him. But unfortunately, I didn't make it powerful enough to kill him." she replied. "Oh, and I told him he was no longer being considered to be my mate."_

_Goten laughed, "I'm sure that probably hurt more than your blast." _

_Bra simply smirked and was about to walk past him when he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Goten, what are you doing?" _

"_Listen, Bra, I know you don't want to mate with someone yet or even try to find a mate… But you should try and be at least a little kind to them. Do it for your parents, I heard the elders was giving them quite a bit of hassle about it."_

_Bra glared at the man standing in front of her. "Is that so? Well let me tell you this, those elders can take their stupid laws and shove them." _

_Goten rolled his eyes at her un__ladylike words, "Is that anyway for the Princess to speak?" _

"_It's not like I'm even going to be a Princess for much longer." she said without humour. _

_He looked at her with a confused expression, "What? What do you mean?" _

"_The council said that if I don't find a mate by the time I turn eighteen then I will be stripped of my title." It was then that all her anger she once felt turned into something else. Something that she hadn't felt in years because she always got everything she ever wanted. She felt like crying. _

_Goten looked shocked for a minute but composed his features when he saw his Princess close to losing it, "They can't do that! Only__–__"_

"_My father can do that. I know that, Goten. But if they went public about it all, we could have an uprising on our hands and he would have no choice but to take away my title. Otherwise, he would probably have to annihilate the entire Saiyan race." she said sadly as tears started to fall down her cheeks._

"_You'd be surprised by how many disagree with forcing somebody to mate with someone they don't care for." he said softly as he pulled her in for a hug. "Listen to me," he spoke while gently rubbing her back to stop her crying. It was something he had seen his brother do for Pan many times, so he hoped it was working the way it worked for Pan. "Just keep going on these date things until you're eighteen and then by that time I'm sure you would have found somebody." _

_Bra looked up and smiled at the friendly face looking down at her with soft, brown eyes. _

* * *

><p>Bra silently took the glass of water Goten handed her and gulped it down. The cold water massaged her dry throat and almost immediately made her throat feel ten times better. It didn't completely heal her sore and dry throat, but Bra couldn't be bothered getting up for more water or asking for some.<p>

"I was searching through the streets for the Princess…" she gasped suddenly and looked at the confused face in front of her. "What happened to the Princess? We didn't fail the mission did we?" If there was one thing she hated more than the creep who put her in this situation, it was failing a mission.

Goten smiled, "She's fine. We sent her back here in a spare pod before we started to search for you. So what happened whilst you were looking for her?"

"Well whilst I was looking I felt that strange ki again so I took off after it and the further I got into the village the stronger it got… then I heard a strange noise coming from within the village and I thought it might have been the Princess, so I followed it." Bra looked down at her hands and away from the frowning face in front of her. "I turned another corner and came to a dead end. Everything was blocked off so I turned around and there… there _he _was." she closed her eyes tightly.

"What did you do?"

Bra took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. "I tried to put more space between us, but _he _wouldn't let me. He kept coming closer and closer." As she got further into her story, her words started to come out faster and started running together. "All I can remember from before I woke up, strapped down on the table was a dark cloak, blood red eyes and _pain._"

Goten tried to pull her into a hug to comfort her but she held her hand up to keep some space between them. He would never admit that it hurt him; he couldn't even understand _why _it hurt him but he shrugged it off. Perhaps it was because he was used to being able to comfort her by hugging her. Now, Goten wasn't sure _how_ to comfort Bra.

"And then I woke up in that dark room completely stripped of my clothes and strength and I was strapped to a metal table…" she looked at her wrists and felt her neck and then looked her friend in the eye. "Do you know anything about ki restraints? Like how to get them off?"

Goten shook his head sadly as he looked at the restraints. "You mean to tell me you managed to out run your dad and brother without the use of your ki?"

"Only until I ran into your dad. Can you go to my mother's lab and get me some tools to get these things off?" It shouldn't take too long to figure out how to do it.

He frowned uncertainly. "You know I'm not supposed to leave you until your dad returns. Should I just contact your mom and ask her to come here?"

Bra shook her head before glaring at the boy. "I do not want anyone in this room. You are only here because my father said I had to let you in and he was only in here because he ran in before the door closed and locked itself."

Goten frowned again. "You can't just stay in here forever and not speak to anyone, Bra, that's not you."

"It is now." she whispered, "You will never understand the pain I'm in, Goten or the things I have suffered through."

"Try me. If I can't understand your pain, I can at least try to make you feel better." he replied with a sad smile.

He would never understand her pain, so just to spite him she started to tell her story once again. "After I woke up, I started to panic because I couldn't move any more than a couple of centimetres, if that. He came in and told me that he wanted to take down the Saiyan and Human Empire, that torturing and then eventually killing me was just the beginning for my father. He said it was a warning. He told me everything he was going to do to me and then explained what he called his methods as he did them to me."

Goten tried to mask his anger as he listened to her story, but it was too hard. How dare anyone think they could bring harm to her? How dare some pink bubble gum freak think it could torture his Princess, his friend, his charge? She was his to protect. It was his job.

At least, that was what he told himself.

"Bra," he whispered as he watched the pain on her face.

"That wasn't the worst part." she continued with a cold and empty voice. "Do you want to know what he did to me that made me feel so disgusted with myself, so ashamed that I actually begged him to torture me more because I deserved it?"

"You didn't deserve anything that happened, Bra." he frowned for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. "And you never will deserve anything like that."

Bra gripped her arms tightly and rocked slightly. "He said 'I'll make you scream louder than any of your pathetic suitors ever will'." she turned and looked desperately into Goten's eyes. He was hiding his emotions so she couldn't even tell what he was thinking. "How did he know that I was choosing a mate? How did he know about my suitors?" She hadn't done anything with any one of her suitors, but it still freaked her out when he said that. It meant that he had been watching her and for only God knows how long.

"I don't know, Bra, but I promise you I will find out." he said as he stood up and turned towards the door.

Bra grabbed his arm but let go as soon as she did. "Goten, please, don't leave me on my own." she whispered before she could even stop herself. "I don't want to be on my own."

Goten looked down at the Princess and sat down again.

"I will never leave you, Bra." he promised.


	10. I Believe In You

**Chapter 10 –**** I Believe In You**

It had been three hours and Vegeta had still not returned to Bra's room.

'_Where the hell is he?' _Goten thought angrily in his head. He had been sitting here doing nothing more than watching her sleep. Even though he promised her that he would never leave her on her own, his stomach growled louder and louder with the passing hours and he would feel rude if he went through her kitchen looking for anything edible he could eat. If Goten didn't get food soon, he was afraid that the growling of his stomach would wake her up. It already looked as though Bra hadn't been sleeping!

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard whimpering coming from Bra. He raised his eyebrow at her unconscious form as she gripped a tighter hold on the sofa she was laying on, watching as she thrashed her head from side to side and tears fell down her bruised cheeks. Goten took another look at her body. It was obvious she hadn't been eating since she never took any of the food Pan had made for her but he never really noticed its effects. It had only been two weeks but her body was already turning thinner and with every passing day she was growing paler and paler. Also, it seemed as though none of her wounds had healed.

She whimpered, "Stop… _please_ just… stop."

Goten's head snapped back to her face as she scrunched it up as if she was in pain. Bra started to shake violently as she tried to edge further and further back on the sofa. She took in a deep breath that sounded more like gasp and started to sob as she thrashed against an invisible opponent.

Then realisation hit him as to what she must be having a nightmare about.

"Bra, wake up!" Goten said as he shook her shoulders gently but started to shake them more roughly as she pinched her eyes tightly together. "Wake up!"

Her blue eyes snapped open as she felt someone holding her shoulders and shouting her name. She looked up at the person holding her with frightened and pained eyes and let out a sigh of relief as she realised it was Goten.

"Goten," she sobbed as she fell against his chest and cried.

Since she was kidnapped she didn't want anyone to be close to her, let alone touch or hold her but with Goten she felt a sudden safety that she had never felt before. Sure her father was the strongest in the Saiyan and Human Empire and her brother wasn't too far from surpassing him, but with Goten she felt like nothing could ever bring any harm to her, like he would always be there to protect her no matter what.

It took Bra over an hour to try and calm down and although Goten felt awkward having a Princess cry into his chest, he couldn't push her away so instead let her get it all out of her system. He hated seeing her in such pain and he most definitely hated that he couldn't stop the pain. He wanted nothing more than to just take her away from it all. When she ceased her crying to a few sniffles and hiccups he gently lifted her head with his hand to meet her gaze. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from all her crying and her face was no better.

"You need to talk to someone about what happened to you, Bra, maybe it would help."

Bra shook her head furiously before practically yelling, "I already told _you_, Goten, isn't that enough?"

"But I can't stop the pain, Bra and it's killing me. I want to help you but I know I can't and I hate what it's doing to you. You never let anything get to you before!" He hadn't meant to say all of that but he couldn't help it, he was angry as to what that freak did to her and was still doing to her even though it was dead.

"You are helping me, Goten." she whispered as she refused to meet his confused eyes. "I _told _you. I would never have had the courage to tell even my dad these things but I told _you_. I wouldn't even let Trunks close enough to touch me after I begged your father to kill them because I thought they were _him _and I thought he was coming back to kill me." She heard his gasp of shock when she finished her last sentence but she ignored it.

Goten lifted her head again to meet her pained blue eyes. "But why me? Why did you let me in instead of your family?"

"I don't know," she whispered and then cleared her throat before continuing, "I feel safest when I'm around you. I feel like no harm could ever come to me when you're around. Its… it's almost like I _need _you. It's the feeling you give off… the feeling of protection a–and unconditional love."

He smiled sadly at her confession. Goten knew how much it must be hurting her pride to admit that she needed him. "I'm always here for you, you know that. But it's hurting your family more when you refuse to even be in the same room as them. Trunks was devastated when you locked him out of your room, he wouldn't eat for days, he would just sit outside of your door like a lost puppy."

"I only did that because I needed some space to think. I felt as though I could barely breathe with him watching me, _judging _me."

Goten frowned at the Saiyan Princess in front of him. "No one is judging you, Bra, especially not Trunks. He felt like it was his fault that you were taken and he didn't want you to go anywhere without him watching you. We were all so scared. We thought we had lost you." His voice cracked at his last sentence.

Bra stared into Goten's soft brown eyes to find if he was telling the truth and surely enough, he was. He looked petrified at the thought of losing her and she couldn't explain the warmth in her heart she suddenly felt.

"I don't want him to worry about me."

"Then you need to start being like the Bra we all know and love."

"How?" she whispered brokenly, the tone of her voice making his heart shatter.

Goten thought about it for a moment. "Well you could have something to eat for starters. You're getting too thin, Bra and you aren't allowing your body to get the nutrition it needs to heal your wounds. How about you have dinner with your family tonight?"

"Only if you come with me… I can't do it alone," when she saw he was about to argue she explained herself, "I don't want to be on my own, I'm not ready for that yet."

"You won't be on your own. Not now, not ever. I will come with you if you promise me one thing."

She nodded slightly, looking confused as to what he could want from her.

"Tomorrow you will go back to doing whatever it is you normally do. I will come with you but I just want you to go back to how it used to be, you know?"

Again, she nodded her agreement and Goten pushed a button on the side of his scouter to contact the King. He didn't have to wait long.

"Vegeta, Bra would like to accompany you to dinner tonight but she wants me to be there with her."

"_Why does she want you there with her?"_

Hearing the more than obvious suspicion in Vegeta's voice, Goten looked towards the blue haired Princess who nodded. "She says she feels safer when I am around, sir."

Vegeta sighed. Well at least she was coming out of her room. "_Whatever. Dinner will be at usual time, she will know when." _

With that, he cut the transmission.

Goten smiled and nodded at the Princess before noting what she was wearing. "I think you should change before we go to dinner with your family."

"Why?" She looked down and smiled slightly. "Well I guess you're right. It's hardly Princess wear."

She was wearing nothing more than a long, baggy red t–shirt and boxers. She refused to wear girly underwear like her mother does. Just the thought of thongs made her shudder.

"So what time is dinner?" Goten asked as his stomach growled loudly.

Bra smiled slightly at the sound of his stomach. "In an hour or so. I guess I better go take a bath… I stink."

"Well I wasn't going to say anything but yeah, you kinda do." he teased her playfully. Bra lightly punched his shoulder in response and then left to her bathroom and started to run her bath.

As Bra sat in the hot water, she thought about all the things that had happened since that day she was taken. She tried to think of how it must have looked from another's point of view to see her tied down onto a table, naked, with her ki restrained and then to lock herself in her room on the ship and not speak or eat at all. It must have been torture for everyone, especially her brother. All he wanted to do was help but she wouldn't let him, she had literally kicked him out of her room and locked her door, refusing him or anyone else entry.

Bra lathered her favourite apple and lime scented shampoo on her wet hair and wondered if she could ever go back to the way she used to be. Back to the Bra who played pranks on everyone with Goten, Pan and Trunks. The girl who talked about boys, shopping, make up and shoes and constantly trained and sparred with stronger opponents just for the challenge of kicking their asses. Back to the Bra who had a life and didn't spend all her time locked away in a dark room refusing to eat, sleep or talk.

Her bath had taken no more than twenty minutes and she was careful to try and keep the ki restraints dry, since she didn't know what sort of technology they were or what powered them, she thought it was better to be safe rather than sorry.

Bra wrapped a fluffy white towel around her body and walked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. She stood in front of her walk in wardrobe which could easily be the size of her mother and father's bedroom and chose the first thing she laid her eyes on. The Saiyan Princess dropped her towel, put on some clean underwear and then dressed in a flowing chiffon cream maxi dress with silver heels. If she was going to try and get her life back on track, it would be crucial to start with her dress sense. Never again will she be seen in her pyjama top and underwear!

She walked over to her Venetian table and decided to leave her hair down to try and keep the bruises and cuts on her neck and shoulders hidden. She didn't want to bother with make–up but she really did look a mess. It was nothing a little bit of food, exercise and sun light wouldn't fix but for now she would have to settle with foundation, blusher and mascara.

The young Saiyan Princess stared at her reflection for what seemed like hours. She really didn't look like herself anymore but she hardly had any strength to do anything about it.

"Damn ki restraints," Bra muttered angrily whilst tugging on them.

As much as she wanted them off, she didn't want anyone who wasn't Goten to touch her. She knew how ridiculous she sounded but she couldn't stop the violent twisting in her stomach at the thought of someone touching her or coming close enough to just reach out and touch her. Like she had told him, Goten radiated a certain feeling that she couldn't explain, but it soothed her. It made her feel calm and safe.

Sighing as she got up out of the chair, Bra strutted out of her bedroom and into the living room where she found Goten sat on her sofa. He looked up almost immediately and Bra nearly laughed at his expression. It's not like he's never seen her so dressed up before! Vegeta–sei always had a ball right after the full moon which was every year. Mostly because the Queen and children were allowed back on the planet (apparently that was something to celebrate) and also because boys became men and girls became women.

"Well say something!" Bra smirked as she walked over to her front door.

Goten quickly collected his thoughts and blushed as he smiled sheepishly at the girl he grew up with.

Bra rolled her eyes at him. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking," he paused, "about how underdressed I am."

She knew he was lying. Ever since she was a child she could sense when she was being lied to. It was a gift from her human side. Bra had to admit though that it did come in handy sometimes. Like the time when she once had twenty suitors and the very first time she met them all, she asked them all if they were only trying so hard to get on her father's good side and be classed as a higher rank or because they genuinely cared for her.

Now Bra was down to two suitors.

"It's only my mother and I who dress up and it's only because we are female royalty. Believe me when I say that I would rather go dressed in casual clothing or my armour."

Goten visibly relaxed when she answered. There was nothing worse than going to dinner with the royal family and wearing nothing but battle armour but if Vegeta and Trunks were going to wear their armour, surely it wouldn't be too bad.

"Well come on then, we're already five minutes late." Bra pressed, "I just want to get tonight over with so come on!"

Goten laughed whilst holding his hands up in defence, "Alright, alright I'm right behind you."

Bra rolled her eyes but walked down the dimly lit corridors. Her bruised and cut body wasn't fully healed and because she had lost so much blood that awful week and barely ate, slept or trained since then, it slowed down her Saiyan healing.

She could always count on Goten to help and protect her whenever she needed him. After the mission Pan had messed up, the two had gotten closer due to the fact he saved her from being literally torn to shreds. As much as her pride hated to admit it, he saved her life and for that she was grateful.

* * *

><p>"<em>Pan! What the fuck did you do?" Bra screamed through her scouter as the world around her shook. "You were told to do nothing but guard the ship!" <em>

"_Now is not really the time, B." Pan replied as she shot another attacker through the chest with a ki blast. "Me and Retasu are surrounded I'll explain la__–__" The transmission ended before she could finish her sentence. _

"_Damn it! Goten, how are we for time?" she asked as she whipped around to see him. _

_Goten was in his fighting stance with his back to the Princess as he watched thousands of warriors come out of nowhere towards them. They all stopped a hundred yards away from them but they weren't out of hearing distance, something they all knew._

_The group of Saiyans had been sent to the planet Shibaru on a mission and it appeared that Pan had blown their cover. The Shibaru's now hated the Saiyans and had recently overthrown their own planet's King and kidnapped the heir to the throne but not before their Queen had sent out an SOS. After they had overthrown the King, killed the Queen and kidnapped the Prince, they removed themselves from the Saiyan Empire claiming to be 'done with the Saiyans'. _

_Vegeta did not take that well. _

_Nobody was done with the Saiyan Empire unless he said they were. He wasn't a tyrant like the Colds had been before he and his father had killed King Cold and his sons, but he was their King and he wasn't afraid to use a planet or two as an example as to what happens when you betray the Saiyan and Human Empire. _

_The Shibaru's were not the most powerful of races, the highest power level being only seventy three thousand, but one of the many important lessons the Saiyans had learned from intense training was strength comes in numbers. Even though they were all high above their power levels, it did not matter. If it was six against thousands, if not millions, of warriors then they needed more than strength to survive. _

_Bra was pulled out of her thoughts when a warrior stepped forward as though to speak. Bra put on an empty expression and raised one perfect eyebrow at the man. _

"_What do you want with us, Saiyans? We are done with your Empire." he spoke in a heavy accent. He was a well__–__built man and she would have considered him attractive, but the yellow skin, small height and long green hair was definitely a turn off._

_Bra walked forward with her arms crossed over her chest despite Goten's warning glances. "What have you done with Prince Heiwa?" she spoke in a demanding voice. _

"_Why should we tell you, ya whore?" A voice yelled from the crowd. _

_She smirked as she walked closer towards the crowd. "Because I am the Princess of all Saiyans and I demand that you tell me." _

_The once loud and obnoxious crowd silenced and anxiousness and fear filled the air. _

_The first man who spoke stared at Bra for what seemed like an eternity before finally seeing the resemblance between her and the Queen, "Well I'll be damned." _

_Bra smirked once more before going back to an empty expression that rivalled her father's. "I will ask once more, what have you done to Prince Heiwa?" _

"_The Prince got what he and his family had coming to them." _

"_Which was?" she pushed. _

_The crowd speaker turned towards his followers. "Bring him out." _

_The large crowd separated as the body of a boy no older than eleven was dragged out and thrown towards the Saiyan Princess. Goten was immediately at her side when he saw all her muscles tense at the sight. _

_The young boy was barely conscious and seemed unaware of his surroundings. He was completely naked and clearly close to death. There was an engraved mark on his stomach that read 'traitor' in the planet's old language and he was covered in bruises, blood and burns. But the thing that stuck out the most was the worst by far and was clearly why the boy seemed so out of it. They had cut off his penis and balls. _

"_What the hell is this?" she spat. "How could you do this to your Prince… your future King!" _

_She had never seen a sight like this before. Sure she had seen dead bodies and torture victims but never before had she seen an innocent young boy have his manhood taken from him. The people of Shibaru had taken the Prince's punishment back to the medieval times and there was a reason why those punishments had been stopped. They were completely and utterly disgusting and it made the people who gave out the punishments no better than the criminals. _

"_His father was a traitor to his people. He sold our planet to your father and since then we have been slaves. We work and work and for what? I__–__" _

"_You were not my father's slave. None of you were slaves to the Saiyan and Human Empire. I don't know what the hell has been going on but my father has barely even been receiving payments from this shit hole." _

"_What are trying to say, Saiyan? That our King did this to us?" A voice yelled out from the crowd. _

_Bra raised her eyebrow to the crowd whilst Goten was trying to keep the contents of his stomach down from the sight of the Prince. "Not at all but if the shoe fits, feel free to wear it." she smirked at the human phrase. _

"_He got everything he deserved," the warrior stood closest to Bra spoke again._

"_What is your name?" Her voice was deadly calm. She was the Princess of the Saiyan and Human Empire damn it and she demanded some respect from these low class scums who would inflict such an act on their own Prince. _

"_Miekoi." he spoke in his heavy accent again. _

"_Miekoi, huh?" _

_He nodded his reply._

"_Well, Miekoi you and your followers make me sick. You should all be ashamed and disgusted with yourselves. The Prince did nothing to deserve this." _

"_How dare you speak of my people in such disrespect, you filthy monkey!" he shouted as he took another step forward._

"_Well look who's being disrespectful now!" she laughed humourlessly. The term 'monkey' always annoyed her to no end and never failed to make her want to rip out the person's throat who said it so that they could never speak that word again. _

"_It isn't disrespectful when it is the truth!" he smirked, "Saiyans are nothing more than a race of filthy and disgusting apes. I__–__" _

_He didn't have time to finish his sentence as Bra lunged forward and did exactly what she wanted to do the minute he said 'monkeys'. She ripped out his throat, set off a ki blast through his heart then let his lifeless body fall to the floor. _

"_We may be 'filthy and disgusting apes' in your eyes but we are still your superiors and you _will_ show us respect you low classed bastards." she spat towards the stunned crowd. _

_She watched in amusement as they all watched her in fear. Their new leader was now dead. He was the most powerful one of them all and now he was dead. But the fear didn't stop the anger that followed shortly after and they all charged towards the Princess one by one as their anger coursed through their veins and they started seeing red. _

_Goten flew forward to defend his Princess as she started battling them all one by one. She seemed to have no problem and it took no longer than a second for her to kill her opponents but after a couple of minutes they started to attack her in higher numbers at up to seventeen at a time. Bra lost her balance for not even a second before they took advantage of it and pounced on her, knocking her to the dusty ground. _

_Her slender body shook with rage as she realised her mistake. She powered up and the force from her power up knocked the enemies around her off their feet. They didn't even have time to get up before she started attacking on just instinct and rage alone. From ripping out hearts to snapping necks to blasting heads off to blasting them completely, Bra was unstoppable as she tore through her victims one by one. Goten copied her as he decapitated and blasted his opponents._

_Just as the two Saiyans thought they were winning, one of the warriors grabbed Bra's silky blue tail and even though he wasn't holding it tightly enough to be considered painful, it was still annoying and stopped her from fighting. She just prayed to the Gods that they wouldn't pull it out or touch the base of it. Even if they pulled it out she could still grow another one, but it would be one of the most excruciating and painful things ever to happen in her life. Then she would have to train it all over again and the first time had been hard work enough. But if they touched the base, she would be lying on the ground begging them to fuck her senseless and that would just be downright humiliating. It had been humiliating just having her father warn her about that certain weakness!  
><em>

_Before either of those things could happen, she twisted around and smirked at the man who looked shocked that it didn't hurt her in the slightest. _

_She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his ear. "Sorry, but the only thing you managed to do was turn me on," she whispered and watched as his eyes widened before ripping his head from his shoulders and wrapping her tail even tighter around her waist. There was no way in hell she was letting that shit happen again. _

_Bra was too distracted to notice that she was surrounded until she was flattened against the ground and they started to claw at her flawless skin. She screamed out for help but it appeared to be stuck in her throat as she thrashed furiously. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid to get distracted! What kind of warrior did that make her? Would her father be disappointed? She couldn't believe that a group of weaklings had managed to catch her off guard never mind managed to pin her down. But as the thoughts passed through her mind she started to feel drowsy from blood loss. _

_A bright yellow light surrounded her and bodies started to fall on top of her but she was too out of it to do anything. Her vision started to fade to black and all she could remember was seeing a blond angel standing over her. He looked angry. That thought stuck in her mind. Angels weren't supposed to be angry or look scared or even be covered in blood like this one seemed to be. _

_Her angel picked her up and held her close in his arms and she inhaled his heavenly scent. Despite the blood and dead bodies around them, he smelled like heaven. She could remember how she loved being held in his strong arms and how he made her feel completely safe despite the pain her body was in. _

_She woke up seven hours later in the regeneration tank and realised it was no angel who saved her. _

_It was Goten._

_And he had ascended to the legendary Super Saiyan._

* * *

><p>"Bra, are you listening to me?" Goten asked, looking worried. They were a few seconds away from the dining room and she had had that empty look in her eyes since they left her rooms.<p>

She shook her head slightly to remove the thoughts from her head. "Yeah, sorry I was just thinking." she gave him a small smile. Goten seemed to believe her and smiled in return.

They entered the dining room and Bra completely froze in her place and started panting heavily.

"Goten… I can't do this." she whispered to him. They were fifteen minutes late and the eyes of her family were all on them. On _her_.

"Yes you can Bra, they are your family and they love you. Don't push them away." he whispered low enough so only she could hear.

Bra turned around to look at him and he nodded with a small smile. Bra took in a deep, calming breath before walking forward to meet her family.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – For those who were wondering, no! Majin Buu is not Bra's mate. I wouldn't put her through _that much_. ;-) **

**I think you can tell that these couple of chapters are old, but I tried my best to edit and update them!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	11. You Can Do This

**Chapter 11 – ****You Can Do This**

Bra turned around to look at him and he nodded with a small smile. She took in a deep, calming breath before walking forward to meet her family.

Her mother stood up as soon as her daughter started to walk towards them with Goten. It confused her slightly as to why she felt the need to keep Goten with her since she was always complaining that she didn't need bodyguards, but the thought of what happened over two weeks ago silenced those thoughts. Bulma smiled brightly at her daughter and opened her arms to hug her but when she was met by nothing but cold air, she couldn't help but look at her daughter who was cringing into Goten with confused and hurt eyes.

"Bra?" Bulma said quietly.

The Saiyan Princess stood up straight and Goten slowly shook his head at the Queen. Bulma dropped her arms to her sides and gave her daughter one last sad smile before sitting by her husband once again.

As Bra sat down, she could feel all eyes on her. Well, only two sets of eyes. Her father's and Trunks's eyes were both on Goten. Bra frowned. She didn't want any trouble to be caused because she asked him to come to dinner with her. Out of everyone, she felt safest and the most comfortable with him. Unlike her father, Goten radiated a feeling of peace and calm. Even Trunks had an intimidating aura surrounding him most of the time. Her mother would force her to talk about what happened. Bra knew that for a fact. So, in her eyes, it was safest to stay by Goten's side.

"How are you feeling?" Bulma asked as she cut into her meat.

"F–Fine," she replied hoarsely before clearing her throat. "Thank you."

"That's good." Bulma nodded as she eyed her daughter. "I can take a look at those ki suppressors if you like."

It didn't sound like a question, but it wasn't a statement or a demand either. Bra could hear the uncertainty in her mother's voice and even though she hated that she felt wary around her, Bra didn't want to push herself too far. Her heart was already going crazy and it was taking everything in her not to run out of the room and back to the safety of her bedroom.

She didn't want anyone to touch her, but she didn't want the ki suppressors on any longer. They were starting to make her feel weak and if it was one thing Bra had always hated, it was feeling weak. Her head was swimming. Should she let her mother help her or should she learn how to remove them herself? Bra just didn't know what she should do. Usually, she would speak to her mother about how she was feeling but right now, that was one of the last things she wanted.

Bra inwardly growled at her cowardice. Sure, she had been tortured, but why was she acting so hesitant around her family? They had done so much for her! But even though she was thinking that, her heart was still hammering in her chest and she knew for a fact that they could all hear it. Bra gulped.

"Y–Yes, please." Bra answered quietly, her voice barely audible.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Bra cut into her food and ignored the stares that she was getting. Perhaps having something to eat would calm her down if only by a little. It had been a while since her last meal and her stomach was making itself known with its viscous growls.

In ten minutes, Bra had managed to eat not only her share of the food, but quite a lot of her brother's food too. When she had finished her own, Trunks had offered her some of his and she was more than grateful to accept. Bulma had watched her with worried eyes, most likely worrying because it had been a while since she last ate and eating so much would probably have a bad effect on her stomach. Bra didn't care though because once she started eating, it was hard to stop.

Bra had decided never to go without food ever again. It just tasted too good and it really wasn't worth the hunger pains.

When she had finished, Bra waited impatiently for Goten and her mother to finish eating too. She wanted nothing more than to go back to her room but she had said that Bulma could take a look at the damn suppressors. Even though it was difficult, Bra didn't show her impatience.

"Are you ready to go to my lab, Bra?" Bulma asked as she placed her knife and fork onto her empty plate.

The Saiyan Princess looked up and saw that Goten was also finished and waiting. "Yes." was all she said as she stood up and left the room with Goten and Bulma behind her.

Bra walked at a fast pace to her mother's lab and her hands were shaking no matter how hard she tried to calm herself.

When they reached the lab, Bulma told her daughter to sit on the table whilst she went to go and find some tools. By the time Bulma returned and stood no more than a couple of inches away from Bra, Bra was shaking all over. It didn't help when her mother placed a screwdriver beside her neck and started fiddling with the suppressor.

She gripped a tight hold of the table and it creaked as her hold started to crush it. Her breathing was coming so quick that it made her feel light headed and her stomach was churning horribly. '_Maybe eating all of that food wasn't such a good idea,' _Bra inwardly groaned. Her mother's face was close enough that Bra could feel her breath on her shoulder and it was making her cringe.

Too close… she's _way_ too close. The warning kept repeating itself in her mind and Bra squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to put more space between them.

"Bra, stay still," Bulma chided her. "It'll be over in a couple of minutes."

Minutes… Bra's shaky breathing intensified. Behind her closed lids, tears were forming and the sound of a loud crack made her mother gasp and back away from Bra.

"I'm sorry," Bulma whispered as she raised a hand to her mouth. "Bra…"

"Bra, you need to calm down." Goten said in a surprisingly serious voice.

How could she calm down? It seemed like they were asking her to do the impossible. Bra lifted her hands and clutched the sides of her head as though she was trying to force the memories out. The table beneath her creaked as the cracks from where Bra had crushed it with her hold started to creep to where her weight was.

"Please, Bra." Bulma begged as her own tears started to form. "Calm down."

Bra shook her head as she opened her eyes. The look in her eyes told them that she wasn't really there with them and Bulma felt the temptation to look into her daughter's mind grow, but she knew that it would be wrong of her to do that. If Bra wanted her to know what happened, she would tell her and in her own time.

"I'm sorry," Bra whispered as her eyes focused once again and she dropped her hands to her sides.

Bulma smiled. "You have nothing to be sorry for, well apart from breaking my table." she joked lightly.

In return, Bra gave her mother a small smile. "Can we do this some other time?"

She could hear the desperation in Bra's voice and it was slowly killing her but instead of saying anything, she simply nodded and placed her tools down.

"Bra, are you sure you want to do that?" Goten asked as he raised a brow. "Maybe doing this now will help you."

Bra looked up to see that Goten was giving her an encouraging smile and her mother was eyeing her carefully. Slowly, Bra nodded her head, telling them that she was willing to try again.

* * *

><p>"Are you going to be okay?" Goten asked as he walked Bra to her door.<p>

The walk back to her rooms had been silent and even somewhat awkward, which was a new experience to them. Usually, they had no trouble in starting conversations or keeping them going but tonight, neither of them had any idea about what to say. Bra knew it was because Goten didn't know what to say to her and it upset her. She didn't want him to feel as though he couldn't be himself around her. That was why she cared so much about him. Goten was, well, _Goten_.

"I…" Bra closed her mouth and frowned as she looked towards her door. "I don't want to be alone." she whispered, her cheeks beginning to warm up due to admitting her weakness. Pushing aside her pride, Bra looked back up at Goten, who was giving her a small smile. "Goten… will you stay with me?"

For a moment, Goten was silent, which made Bra begin to doubt her decision. Did he not want to stay with her? Was it too weird, too uncomfortable? Even she had to admit that it was a little strange to have him stay over, but Goten was the only one she felt as though she could trust one hundred percent, if not more. Even though she had her family, Bra felt safer with him.

"If that's what you want," Goten said quietly, slowly.

Bra nodded before opening her door and walking into her room. As she turned back to face him, she gave him a hesitant smile. "I feel safest when you're around. I'll show you to the guest room, it's right next door to mine."

Something softened in Goten's eyes as he looked down at her, but due to her already stepping into her rooms and warily looking round to make sure nobody had broken in during dinner, she didn't see it.

* * *

><p>Bulma placed her head on her husband's chest and inhaled his scent deeply.<p>

It had been a long night for not only her, but Goten and Bra also. The ki suppressors had been easy to take off and would have only taken her two minutes to do them… if her daughter hadn't completely broken the table and freaked out again.

Maybe 'freaked out' was a little harsh, but right now, Bulma couldn't think of any other word to use and no matter how hard she tried to calm Bra down, it never worked. It seemed the only person who was capable of calming the Princess down was Goten, but Bulma couldn't figure out why. Why Goten? Why did she trust him more than her own family, her own pack? Sure, they had been great friends since they were little and because of his friendship with Trunks they were nearly always around each other, but it was still a little strange.

Bulma found that Vegeta was also having the same thoughts as she was. Neither of them could understand why Bra felt as though she could trust Goten but not them. It wasn't that they didn't like Goten, because they did. It was just so complicated. Goten was a male who wasn't a part of their pack yet Bra looked to him for protection and comfort.

She just wanted to help her daughter but it was easier said than done, especially when she wouldn't be able to touch her or comfort her.

A thought entered Bulma's mind like a bolt of lightning and she immediately sat up as though it would help her think better. She felt something warm wrap around her waist, telling her to come back to bed but she couldn't. Not when she had such a good idea running through her mind.

"Woman," Vegeta growled when Bulma pulled out of his hold and climbed out of bed. "What the hell are you doing?"

Bulma smirked at Vegeta's tired growl. Even if he wasn't tired, she still wouldn't have been intimidated by him. "I've thought of something that could possibly help Bra."

Finally grabbing his attention, Vegeta sat up with curious eyes. Bulma nodded as though confirming his thoughts and pulled a notebook and pen out of her drawer. Vegeta realised that it was her planning notebook and watched silently as she scribbled across the page with a thoughtful look on her face.

After around twenty minutes of non-stop planning, scribbling and chewing on her pen, Bulma finally found a way to help her daughter. A gigantic grin threatened to split her face in half but as she looked down to her husband, it faded into a soft smile. The sight of a sleeping Vegeta lying on his stomach with his head in his arms was enough to make her heart skip a beat. She always enjoyed seeing his peaceful and relaxed face when he was sleeping.

Not wanting to wake him up, Bulma placed her notebook and pen down on the bedside table and switched the light off before snuggling next to her mate, immediately being welcomed into a warm and sleepy embrace.


	12. Dark Memories

**WARNING: Flashbacks of torture.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 – Dark Memories<strong>

"Now, are you sure about this, Bra?" Bulma asked as she watched her daughter lay back onto the bed. "Because once we get started, we need to see it through otherwise it could all fall apart. If that happens, there is a chance you might come out worse than how you are now."

Bra looked up to Goten and then back to her mother. "You said that it would help me get better… and I want to get better." Bra then looked down at her legs and away from her family's and Goten's stares. "But I also want Goten and dad to stay in the room whilst you're doing it. That way if I start freaking out like last night, they can stop me before I accidentally hurt one of you, since you'll be too focused on whatever you're doing."

Bulma smiled at Bra, feeling proud that despite being tortured and feeling wary around people, she still had her family's safety in mind. "I promise you, they will be by your side until it's over."

"Okay," Bra whispered before clearing her throat and looking from her mother to Trunks. "So what exactly do you need to do?"

The Queen bit her lip and looked anxiously to Trunks and Vegeta. "Well, Trunks and I are going to use our abilities to look into your mind and put walls up where your memories of what happened are." Bulma then looked down to see the slightly panicked look her daughter was giving her. "You'll still remember what happened, but only vaguely. You won't be able to dream about it and you won't be in the pain that you're in right now. In simpler terms, you'll know what has happened to you, but it won't have that big of an impact as it has been having on you. But it is _very _important that you don't force those memories out. The mind is a fragile thing."

"Y–You have to look into my memories and mind?" Bra's eyes widened as they darted from Trunks to Bulma.

"Only if you want us to." Trunks said quickly. "It's the best way to help you, but if you don't want us to see what happened, then we understand."

Bulma gave her daughter a small smile. "We won't judge you or think of you as weak, Bra. It shows how strong you are to have survived through what you have. What Trunks and I see will not leave this room or our minds, okay? I've shut off the connection between your father and me so that he can't see what has happened either."

Bra slowly nodded before relaxing once again against the bed. She was more than grateful that Goten stayed close to her and that her father stayed by the door as though he would destroy anyone who dared to try and enter. It made her feel safe. However, as her mother injected her with the right amount of medication to knock her out, Bra started to feel panicky again but that didn't last for too long as not even ten seconds later, she was unconscious.

Trunks and Bulma exchanged a nod before they stood at either side of Bra, closed their eyes in concentration and placed a hand on the opposite sides of her face.

Just as they passed through the barriers of Bra's mind, both Trunks and Bulma hissed as pain shot up and through their bodies and their legs grew weak. The blue haired Queen's face twisted and scrunched up due to the pain and hot tears started to pour from her eyes whilst Trunks's free hand clenched so tightly that his palm bled.

They knew it was a possibility that once they were in Bra's mind they would have to more or less go through what Bra had. They could see, smell, taste, hear and feel everything that she could at that time and the pain was almost enough to make them want to quit, _almost_. Just one look at Bra was enough to keep them going. They had to keep going for her.

Their legs grew weaker as they wandered further into Bra's mind until eventually, Vegeta had to hold Bulma up whilst Goten held Trunks up. The Saiyan King and third class exchanged a look before looking down at the twitching Bra. Her features were more relaxed than Bulma and Trunks's, who were both currently tensed and trying their hardest not to cry out.

* * *

><p><em>Blood. <em>

_That was the first thing that she could smell and before long, she could taste it too as well as feel where the blood coming from. It was coming from inside her mouth. Whilst trying to hold back her screams, she had bit down on her tongue, almost biting it off completely. Bra took a deep breath through her nose as she tried to calm herself. _

_He was gone… for now. Bra knew that he would be back soon. Every couple of hours, Buu would disappear for at least two or three hours and then he would return to start all over again. She had no idea what he did during those breaks and she didn't want to know. _

_What Bra wanted was for someone to come and save her. _

_Where was everyone? Had they even noticed that she was missing? It had been over a day now, so surely someone would have noticed. Bra was too drained to sense other ki signatures now and her eyelids kept shutting as sleep threatened to take her. She wanted her big brother to come and save her like he always promised he would, but after a couple of hours of being tortured, of having various weapons and things such as those prodding and slicing her skin, Bra gave up on the hope that anyone would ever come to rescue her. _

_Just as sleep was about to take her, the door swung open and suddenly there were a pair of blood red eyes inches away from her own. Bra gasped at the speed he was able to travel at but otherwise stayed silent as she gathered what was left of her energy and gave him a weak and pathetic glare._

"_Still refuse to talk, huh?" Buu smirked as he ran his fingers up and down her naked chest, making bile rise up Bra's throat. "Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." _

_Bra took another deep, painful breath. It felt like her lungs were too big for her body and it hurt just to breathe. _

"_You see, my new master, he's got a grudge against your family. Well, your mother and father in particular." Buu chuckled as he dug his nails into Bra's skin and dragged his fingers across her stomach. He delighted in the sharp intake of breath, but found himself wanting more than just that. "It is because of them that my original master is dead. After the war between the Cold Empire and the Saiyan and Human Empire, your parents allied with the Supreme Kai and once they found Bibidi's location, they told the Kai, who then went on to kill him before he had the chance to revive me." Buu chuckled again as his nails moved from Bra's stomach to the side of her face. "But what they didn't know was that Bibidi had a son. His son was the one who revived me and he is the one who is my current master."_

_Buu's claw like nails dug into the skin on her face and Bra tried her hardest to tilt her head away from him, but it was no use. _

* * *

><p>Even though her eyes were closed, it was obvious that Bulma's eyes were darting from side to side. Trunks's face was screwed up with pain and guilt as he heard his sister cry out in her mind for him to come and save her. It made him feel sick to his stomach how he didn't save her, well not straight away he didn't. Bra had depended on him and completely trusted him! How could he do that to her?<p>

Both Bulma and Trunks tensed as they entered another memory.

* * *

><p><em>She was so tired and she wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but he wouldn't let her.<em>

_Whenever Bra looked as though she was about to fall asleep, he would do something to keep her awake, like burn her with a small ki blast or punch her. Buu didn't need anything big, it wasn't necessary. All he needed was to use no more than five percent of his power because of Bra's ki restraints._

_She felt weak, tired, hungry and alone. _

_It was the second day now and Bra already wanted to give in. Her once beautiful pale skin was cut, bruised and burned and her face was no different. Even though her body was already healing itself, it still hurt like a bitch. Bra had completely given up by now on any help coming for her; she couldn't even sense anyone anymore. Had they abandoned the planet and left her here to die?_

_It had only been two days yet he had already tortured her in many different ways, though he seemed to prefer to sticking with brute force._

_Just as sleep was about to claim her, a white hot pain shot across her hip and made her gasp due to the pain. Even if she wanted to, Bra doubted that she would be able to scream now. Her throat was too dry and hurt like hell. _

"_Better stay awake," Buu whispered into her ear. "You'll miss our next session otherwise." _

_Bra's body tensed as a fist collided with her stomach. _

_Why was he doing this to her? She didn't care if he had a problem with her parents, it was between them! What had she ever done to him? _

_She didn't have time to think about her questions as a hand connected with the side of her face, making her head snap to the side. Bra squinted and blinked a couple of times as she tried to clear her vision. _

_Her parents… Trunks… Pan… Goten… were they looking for her? Did they miss her at all?_

_Thinking about her pack and her friends made her feel stronger. She would go through anything to protect them and Bra refused to speak a word or share any information with this creepy bastard. To prove her point, she looked him in the eye as he smirked at her and before he could even react, Bra spat at him, her saliva hitting him dead in the eye._

_For them, she was willing to stay quiet. If this was truly her only way of protecting them, then she would do it. Bra knew that her father would be tearing the universe apart to find her; they always had a special sort of bond. He was her daddy and she was his princess. Her eyes started to sting at the thought of her father, but Bra refused to cry. No, she couldn't let this monster see her tears. Her father's words played through her mind, reminding her to never let the enemy take control of the situation or to even feel like they're in control._

"_Disgusting monkey," Buu yelled as he started to throw punch after punch__, as he started to break bones__._

* * *

><p>The memory of Bra's defiance and will to protect her pack and friends was more than enough to make Bulma and Trunks feel stronger. It was as though they fed off of her strength.<p>

Trunks couldn't help but smirk at his sister. Even though she was strapped down onto a cold, metal table, had her ki – as well as her clothes – stripped away from her and was being tortured almost every hour of every day, she was still refusing to be controlled or to allow someone to change her opinions or beliefs. Trunks had honestly thought that she would have given in by now, but he was surprised to find that it was the complete opposite.

Bra was nowhere near ready to give up.

Bulma smiled at Bra's thoughts. It was nice to know that she held her father so dear and so close to her. Bulma always knew that they had a special sort of connection that nobody else could even begin to understand. Somehow, Bra was always able to change Vegeta's thoughts and he always let her do whatever she wanted – within reason. If she wanted to vent, he would let her beat the shit out of him without hitting her back. If she needed someone to talk to, he would listen. If she needed money to go shopping or needed someone to take her shopping, somehow Bra always managed to get him to take her. Sure, on the outside he seemed reluctant and looked as though he hated every second of it, but that wasn't always the case. Vegeta somewhat enjoyed that his daughter felt like she could open up to him. He liked how he was the first person she would go to for help or for extra training.

Again, Bulma and Trunks gasped out loud as they were thrown into another memory.

* * *

><p><em>She felt disgusting.<em>

_Her body was covered in dried blood. Also, covering her mouth, neck and chest as well as the table and her hair, was her own vomit._

_Bra couldn't remember when she had thrown up; all she did know was that it was because of the excruciating pain she could feel. Her quick breathing sounded strangled as she tried to breathe but the air was too thick, too contaminated. _

"_You impress me," a deep voice spoke from the corner of the room._

_Her head snapped to the side as she tried to locate Buu, but it was no use. Due to the amount of blood she had lost and because she was dehydrated and hadn't eaten anything in over three days, Bra's Saiyan senses weren't working so well. In fact, it was like she was one hundred percent human instead of part Saiyan._

"_I thought you would have given in by now." his voice was low as he stroked the side of Bra's face._

_Not for the first time, Bra was shocked by his speed._

_Who the hell was this guy? It seemed as though he was faster than her uncle Tarble, but surely that wasn't possible? Tarble was known as the fastest in the universe because he worked on speed rather than strength. Bra inwardly smiled sadly. Perhaps if she had asked him to train her she would have been able to outrun Buu. But no, she was too proud to accept the help of a Saiyan who didn't even like to fight! Bra felt like hitting herself. Why? Why did she think like that all those years ago? He was one of the nicest people she had ever met before! Now, her uncle Tarble lived on a faraway planet with his wife, Gure._

_Bra didn't have too long to think as a punch to the face brought her out of her thoughts, making her head slam against the metal table before bouncing off of it._

_If she ever got out of here, she was going to make Majin Buu pay. Screw getting help from others, Bra was determined to do it herself. Who did this bastard think he was? How dare he touch the Princess of all Saiyans! How dare he raise a hand against her? _

_Her body started to shake with her new anger and determination. _

_It was as though her mind and body was finally starting to listen to her requests. The air seemed to heat up around her as her senses heightened. She could see more clearly now. The look on Buu's face was enough to push her over the edge as she started pushing against the restraints holding her down and in response the ki restraints began to beep loudly as her power became too much for them to bear._

_A blue aura erupted around her and if you looked close enough, there were flashes of gold. _

_However, before she could continue, a blow to the head caused her vision to fade and her body went limp against the table._

* * *

><p>"Impossible…" Trunks muttered as he looked down at his younger sister with wide eyes.<p>

Was it even possible for a female to unlock the legendary Super Saiyan? It wasn't as though he was being sexist, he just honestly didn't think of it as possible.

Trunks looked up to see his mother was also staring with wide eyes at Bra. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who didn't think it was possible. So far those who ascended had witnessed death or came close to dying… did that mean Bra's life had been slipping away at that point? Or did it mean that her stubbornness, anger and determination managed to unlock the legendary? He was beyond angry that Majin Buu had knocked her out before she managed to completely unlock it. Perhaps he could train with her and help her? Once again, Trunks looked down at his younger sister with amazement. If it was any female Saiyan who had it in them to become a Super Saiyan, it was her.

Both his and Bulma's eyes glazed over and unfocused as they were thrown into another memory. They had forgotten to close their eyes this time and their bodies had frozen so they were now stuck with a distant look in their wide, horrified and pain filled eyes, the look haunting and almost petrifying the two other males in the room.

* * *

><p><em>It was strange.<em>

_Her head felt both light and heavy at the exact same time… was that even possible? _

_It took her a couple of moments to push through the dizziness, but she did it. Bra had to swallow the vomit that threatened to empty her already painfully empty stomach. Her head was throbbing and her senses were all out of whack. _

_A hand stroking her hair brought Bra to her senses as she squinted to try and see who was touching her so gently, so tenderly, only for her eyes to widen as she made out the familiar muscular, tall pink body. She didn't like the look in his eyes. It reminded her of the looks she received from many of the men across the universe. Not the good guys who respected her like Goten did, but the guys who looked at her as nothing more than a piece of meat and something to have fun with._

_Her stomach started to churn and she felt the bile rise again as Buu lowered his hold in her hair and dragged his nails over her chest and stomach, cutting into her sensitive, pale skin as he moved._

"_You're very attractive and delicate for a warrior." his voice was husky and his eyes were hooded. _

_She wanted to cry out, to beg him to stop, but her pride wouldn't allow it. Her mother always said that a Saiyan's pride could be a dangerous thing and now she knew why. Her body shook as she tried to back away, but because of the straps and restraints, she couldn't move very far. Even if she wanted to scream, her throat was too dry and Bra was sure that nothing more than a pathetic, silent croak would come out._

'_Get away from me! Don't even think about touching me you fucked up creep! I'm so going to kick your ass if that hand goes any lower!' These were all things that Bra wanted so badly to scream at him, but again, her throat was too dry and sore. Her eyes spat fire at the pink abomination in front of her and Bra wanted nothing more than to rip his head off of his shoulders. _

_His hands continued their descent and his eyes never broke contact with hers for a second. He could see her promises of pain. Hell, he could practically taste her anger rolling off of her in thick waves. Buu smirked at the girl as he forcefully parted her legs, making her breathing quicken out of fear. _

_She didn't want him to touch her there, she didn't want anyone who wasn't someone she could trust and love to touch her there! Where was her daddy or her big brother when she needed them? They had promised to keep unworthy males from ever touching her. Hell, Bra was more than certain that they had some sort of radar built into their minds because every time a guy got too close to her, one or the other would turn up and intimidate them. _

"_I'll make you scream louder than any of your suitors ever will." he smirked._

_How did he know about her suitors? Sure, a lot of guys had attempted to court her and shower her with affection, but how did Buu know that? Had he been watching her? It wasn't as though she had done anything with her suitors, but that was beside the point._

_Buu climbed on top of the Saiyan Princess, not even bothering to be careful with his weight and Bra squeezed her eyes shut as a sharp pain made itself known between her legs as he thrust into her without warning. He didn't wait for her to adjust or anything of the sort. No, he held her legs as far apart as her restraints would allow as his thrusts came fast and hard. Due to how tense and stiff her body was and also because she had still been a virgin, Bra found it incredibly hard to ignore the pain._

_She couldn't help but throw up this time. It was all too much for her body to handle. The stress of being tortured as well as lack of sleep, food and water seemed to be crashing on her all at once. The heavy breathing and grunts of pleasure coming from the beast on top of her made her entire body shake as she tried to scream. Bra tried with what little strength she possessed to push him off of her, but nothing worked. Buu simply punched her in the face and smirked wickedly as her walls started to clamp down on him._

_Her mind screamed and cried out as her body gave into the pleasure. Only, it wasn't true pleasure and it made Bra feel sick to her stomach. She closed her eyes in defeat as tears started to fall down the sides of her face whilst Majin Buu pulled out of her before releasing his seed all over her stomach, making her feel even sicker. She didn't bother listening to him as he walked out of the room, whistling._

_Who would want her now? She was broken… disgusting… worthless. Nobody would think twice about bonding or marrying a girl who wasn't pure. Her body tensed and shook painfully as silent sobs wracked her body. She was no longer the little girl who everybody adored. Bra was sure that if she did somehow escape, they would all look at her with disgust._

_What would her family say if they found out? Would her father disown her for no longer being his pure little girl? Would her brother avoid her and look down at her as he told her 'I__–__told__–__you__–__so'? Would her mother pity her, or think of her as weak? For some reason, her thoughts drifted to Goten. Would he think of her as disgusting? He had always been there to look out for her and even though it was his job, he always showed up even when he wasn't on duty to defend or protect her. Bra knew she wouldn't be able to handle it if she lost any of her important people._

_Once again, Bra's body shook as more tears started to fall until something snapped._

_She didn't care anymore._

_If death came to her right this second, or in an hour or days' time, Bra would gladly welcome it._

_Buu had finally broken her and she wanted nothing more than to die._

* * *

><p>Bulma's entire body shook as she sobbed for her daughter. There was so much helplessness, self–disgust and hatred in her mind that Bulma was completely overwhelmed by it. Snapping her hand from Bra's face as though she had been burned, Bulma held the hand to her chest and fell completely against Vegeta.<p>

Her once strong, ever–happy daughter was broken and wanted to die.

How was she supposed to take something like that?

Trunks's body filled with anger as tears fell from his eyes. How dare some freak touch his little sister in such a way? How dare he make her want to give up! The only comfort Trunks received was the knowledge that he had killed Buu.

His body started to heat up as Trunks had a hard time controlling his anger and seeing this, Goten released his hold and took a step back from the prince. That creep… that abomination _touched_ his sister! He broke her spirit and actually had her begging for death. He had her thinking that she was worthless and impure. Trunks's teeth started to grind as his eyes started to flash teal as well as his hair flashing blond.

"Trunks," Vegeta spoke in a deadly low voice, "calm down."

He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut as the memory of his sister being raped unwillingly replayed in his mind over and over again.

"Trunks, Bra doesn't need any more stress right now." Goten said in a rare, serious voice. "If she sees your reaction, it'll make her feel even worse about herself."

"You didn't _see _it, Goten." Trunks spat through clenched teeth, his eyes were still squeezed shut as he tried his hardest to shove the images from his mind. "You didn't see or feel or hear what happened!"

"Trunks…" a soft voice groaned.

The four turned towards Bra as she frowned and lazily shoved her brother. It seemed as though the drug they had given her to knock her unconscious was still working a little.

His anger died down at the sound of his little sister calling his name and he was by her side immediately. His once blond hair and teal eyes returned to their usual colour as he looked down at her, brushing the hair out of her eyes. "What's up, Bra? How are you feeling?"

Before the girl could speak, Vegeta's scouter started to beep and the sound was soon accompanied by the Saiyan King's growls.

"What?" he all but yelled to the poor messenger. Nobody could hear what Vegeta could, but whatever was said made him straighten up and his expression lost a fraction of his anger. From hearing the news through their bond, Bulma gave a dazzling smile.

"Bra, honey?" Bulma spoke softly as she stepped closer to her daughter. "Your father has an important visitor that I'm sure wants to see you, is it okay if he joins us? I think you'll want to see him."

There was a small nod from Bra as she tried to open her eyes, but her vision was still clouded. However, when the door opened and two people entered the room, Bra's eyes snapped open and she was immediately on high alert. Even though the drug was trying to keep her unconscious, her senses wouldn't allow it.

"Bra, it's okay." Goten said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Bulma smiled sadly as she looked at her daughter. They were only half way through the process, so there was no doubt in Bulma's mind that she was still feeling wary. In fact, because their minds were still connected, she and Trunks could feel Bra fighting against the medication so she could protect herself. In her mind, she was picturing Majin Buu entering the room and it made Trunks growl.

"Is this a bad time?"

The Queen turned and beamed at their visitors. "Tarble, Gure! It's nice to see you both again."

Tarble and Gure bowed to them before he looked behind Bulma. His eyes saddened as he saw Bra watching him with scared eyes. He turned towards Vegeta and Bulma, his eyes still holding his sadness. "Gure and I came as soon as we heard."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "How did you hear? It was supposed to be kept quiet."

"Brother, you're forgetting that I am still a Saiyan Prince." Tarble raised an eyebrow before giving him a small smile. "My scouter still connects to yours and whenever there is an emergency, I receive warnings messages. When it went off in the middle of the night, telling me that Bra was missing, we left our planet immediately and came here to try and help in any way possible."

Bulma nodded and smiled softly, since she knew Tarble was rather protective of his niece as well as his nephew. "That's smart, Tarble. It was pretty dangerous, since Vegeta didn't know about it, but smart. That way if there was a problem here on Vegeta–sei, you would know and be able to help out to the best of your ability."

"Uncle Tarble?"

Everyone in the room looked back at the blue haired princess who was looking guilty. Tarble tried his best to smile at her, but he could only give her a small one. She was still covered in fading bruises and almost healed cuts and it pained him to see his niece looking so beaten up. "Hello, Bra."

"I'm s–sorry," she whispered, making everyone except Bulma and Trunks's eyes widen. "I–I used to think of you as weak, because you didn't like to fight… but now… now I was wondering… can you please train me to be fast like you?"

Tarble's eyes widened even more. It didn't bother him that people thought of him as weak because compared to his older brother and his family, he really was. Being labelled as weak was a little offensive, but Tarble didn't mind. His wife, Gure, told him it was because he was a pacifist. "Are you sure, Bra?"

She nodded. "Yes," her eyes became guarded as she looked up at everyone. "If I was fast like you, then I would have been able to at least outrun that… that _bastard_," Bra clenched her fists tightly as they started to tremble with anger. "I would have been able to get to my brother or Goten before he attacked me."

Bulma smiled as she walked over to Bra. "You can't train just yet; we still need to finish putting up the barriers. We're almost done."

"I will train with you," Tarble nodded once.

"You can stay here for as long as you like." Vegeta told his brother and sister–in–law.

Gure smiled and once again bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Vegeta."

Bra sighed as she led back down against the bed.

"Bra, do you want Tarble and Gure to stay?" Trunks asked as he looked at her. He himself didn't even know if he wanted to stay, but for Bra, he would. She was his little sister and she needed him.

"I don't mind," Bra said as she watched her mother inject more of the sedative. Her eyes grew heavy. "I'm going… to be unconscious… anyway…"

Nobody could resist the small smile as her eyes fluttered closed and her sentence drifted off. For the first time in a long time, she looked like a child. But their adoration soon faded into anger. That monster had harmed her and she was nothing more than a child!

With new determination, Bulma and Trunks placed their hands onto the sides of Bra's face once again and prepared themselves as they entered another one of her memories.

* * *

><p><em>She stared up at the ceiling with a faraway expression on her features.<em>

_Something was different about Majin Buu today as he stood before her, but she didn't care enough to find out what it was. Bra merely avoided eye contact with the creep. If she ignored him, maybe he'd finally go away and just leave her alone. He had already taken her purity, destroyed her body and made her feel empty. Surely there couldn't be anything else he could do to her? Surely there wasn't anything else that he could take from her?  
><em>

"_You know," Buu said as he stroked her cheek before slapping her. He didn't get a reaction, not even a gasp of pain as Bra simply turned her eyes back to the ceiling. "I have never met someone as frustrating as you. I will see you again, my dear – very soon." __h__e added before punching her stomach. There was the sound of the air being knocked out of her, but Bra's eyes remained empty._

"_Still not screaming for me, huh?" __h__e chuckled darkly, but his face held a new expression that made Bra finally look away from the ceiling and look at him. He looked smug about something._ "_Well I have to admit it. You _are_ pretty impressive. I think I have done every act of torture I know and you still won't scream." _

_His eyes trailed her body as he ran his fingers up and down her side. When his fingers brushed against something furry, he smirked and chuckled again._ "_Oh my, how could I forget your precious tail? You kept it so tightly around your tiny little waist that I completely forgot about it." _

_Bra's eyes remained empty, but now her heart was starting to race as he forcibly unwound it from around her waist. It hurt, but not enough to make her cry out. From a young age, her father had taught her how to strengthen her tail and whilst she had skipped quite a lot of those lessons, she still did it. Somewhat. However, as Buu started to pull and bend her tail, Bra's toes curled as a blood_–_curdling scream tore out of her. Her eyes became unfocused as she saw black spots invade her vision_

_She was vaguely aware of someone bursting into the room and she could feel eyes on her, but Bra's eyes remained unfocused as she stared unseeingly at the ground. Her back was still screaming with pain as Buu paused in his movements of tying her tail into a knot._

"_You must be Trunks, the whore's older brother. How sweet." Bra heard him speak, but didn't pay much attention. She refused to get her hopes up, especially if this was just another one of his tricks to make her think she would be free. "Have you come to save your baby sister?"_

"_Yes, I am Prince Trunks and that whore, as you call her, is the Princess of all Saiyans. You _will_ show her some respect." _

_Bra's eyebrows furrowed at the familiar voice that sounded beyond pissed. Was that… was he really here? Bra's heart quickened as she tried to cry out to him, but her voice was caught in her throat as her eyes locked onto his angry ones. The anger that was in her brother's eyes made Bra feel safer, but not completely. He looked pissed as his eyes scanned her body and Bra felt as though he was judging her. _

_A second later, Trunks lunged and started moving too fast for her to see._

_All of the fast movements made her head hurt as she tried to keep up with them until Bra finally gave up. _

"_Pan, get Bra out of here now!" Her heart quickened at the voice. Goten… he was here too. He was here to help save her, just like Trunks._

_Bra was only vaguely aware of someone approaching her and removing the restraints holding her to the table before lifting her off of it, but kept her eyes on the ground. Her head was swimming as she sat up for the first time in an entire week and it felt as though she was about to pass out at any second._

"_Bra, here take this." A more feminine voice whispered as she wrapped the black blanket around her tightly_. _Bra inwardly smiled. Pan was here too._

_She could hear the sounds of battle as Pan kept her protected behind her body, but again, Bra's eyes stayed fixed onto the ground as everything seemed to move in fast forward. She could hear people yelling and attacking, but she didn't know who was fighting or winning. Of course Bra knew that Majin Buu was definitely one of the fighters. She __suppressed__ a shudder as she heard him shout angrily__.__ Buu was terrifying when he got angry. A couple of seconds later, there was a muted thud and the presence of someone else standing close by her._

"_Bra," Trunks whispered. His voice sounded as though it was underwater and as hard as she tried, she couldn't reply to him. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and cry, but her body wouldn't respond. "Bra, what happened?" _

_She was completely silent; she didn't even take her eyes off of the floor below her to look at him. Trunks lifted her chin with his hand but she cringed away from his touch. She didn't want him to touch her; she didn't want anyone to touch her. She was ruined, impure. She would infect them with her dirtiness._

"_She must have just spaced out man, I can't blame her. But we need to get her out of here now and back to Vegeta__–__sei." Another voice – that Bra instantly recognised at Retasu – spoke._

_Bra tried to push away the person who was trying to pick her up, but they were all failed attempts. Her vision started to cloud over as he pulled her close to him. No… she didn't want to be so close to him or to anyone. Her mind was screaming at her to put more distance between them before he hurt her too, but as they took off into the sky, Bra knew she had lost the battle._

_It seemed like they were only in the air for a couple of seconds before they were somewhere warm and it scared Bra. How weak had she gotten if she couldn't even keep up with their movements? Would her father be disappointed? What a stupid thought. Of course he would be!_

"_Goten, Pan, go clean her up. Retasu, get us off of this planet." Trunks ordered as he handed Bra over before pushing a button on his scouter. "I need to contact my father."_

_She felt like crying. 'No, don't contact dad, he'll be so angry with me for disobeying orders and for allowing myself to be kidnapped! Please… Trunks!' Bra inwardly cried, but it was no use. She wasn't even in the same room as him anymore._

_As her eyes scanned the room, Bra was placed onto the closed toilet seat in her bathroom. When she looked up, Goten's face was close to her own and her eyes searched his face with an empty, glassed over look. _

"_Bra…" __h__e whispered sadly as tears came to his eyes. She flinched as he brushed away the hair that was in her eyes, but he didn't remove his hand. "I'm so sorry, I should've protected you."_

_Inside, it felt like her heart was being stabbed over and over again. 'Please don't cry__,__ Goten… I don't want to see your tears… they're making my chest hurt.' She wanted to say that to him, but her throat was too dry. All she could do was stare at him with an empty look. Even as her mind screamed at Bra when she saw those tears fall from his eyes, she still felt frozen._

_Why was he crying? He wasn't the one who was beaten, tortured or raped, so why? Why did he feel guilty? This was her fault. If she had just listened to Trunks and Pan, then none of this would have happened. _

_Then, another face entered the room and Goten slowly backed away._

* * *

><p>Bulma had tears in her eyes as she and Trunks turned to Goten.<p>

"Goten," Trunks spoke, but it sounded more of a gasp. "…Why?"

The third class frowned as he felt all eyes on him. He had a good idea what they were on about, but he wasn't sure what to say. So, Goten decided to play dumb as he scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "Why what, Trunks?"

Trunks frowned. "I can read you like a book, Goten, so don't lie to me."

"What are you talking about?" Vegeta growled.

He didn't like how his mate was looking at Goten with tears in her eyes. Did the clown's brat hurt his daughter? The thought was immediately removed from his mind. No, his entire pack was made up of sentimental idiots, so he wouldn't have harmed Bra, especially when she was already hurt. Not to mention Trunks would have attacked him by now if he had. So what the hell was his son going on about?

Goten lowered his eyes to the sleeping Bra with a sigh. She looked more comfortable now that they had finished putting the barriers up. "I don't know," he said softly, with a confused and pained look on his face. "All I do know is that it hurts to see her that way and I can't stand it. It's like I can't breathe, like somebody is squeezing my heart and lungs with their bare hands."

Bulma smiled softly. "It's okay to feel that way, Goten. Just please wait until Bra is able to figure out what is what, and what she wants."

Another growl silenced the room as Vegeta stepped forward. "What the hell are you talking about, woman?"

"Vegeta, they're in love!" her eyes were dreamy as she spoke.

Goten frowned in confusion as he looked back at Bra.

He was in love? Was that what this feeling was?

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><p><strong>AN _–_ I thought that I'd treat you all to another chapter. Some treat, though. It's quite dark and just meh. I tried to keep the rape flashback from going into too much detail and it's the same with the other flashbacks.  
><strong>

**Tarble's back! I think he's adorable.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	13. I Just Want Her To Be Happy

**Chapter 13 – I Just Want Her To Be Happy**

"So how are you feeling, Bra?"

Looking up at her mother, Bra frowned softly before clearing her throat and talking. "It's strange… I can feel both you and Trunks in my mind, but it doesn't feel like you're invading." It was actually kind of comforting having them there.

Trunks smiled at his little sister. It had been seven hours since they had put the walls up in her mind and Bra already looked so much better. No longer did her eyes dart across the room trying to find an enemy, no longer did her heart race or the smell of her fear fill the air. Not only that, but she had smiled earlier and the sight had nearly brought Bulma to tears since everybody thought they would never see her smile again.

"That's us holding back your memories." Trunks explained as he cut up his meat. Unlike his best friend who was sitting across from Bra, he didn't want to look messy. "We can't read your mind right now, but if you wanted us to, we can."

"We can also tell when you're in trouble," Bulma added softly with a smile. "Your thoughts are still one hundred percent private, but we're more attuned to your emotions now."

Bra nodded before looking around the table she and her family were sat at. Her father, as usual, was sitting at the head of the table with her mother next to him. On his other side was Tarble and beside him, was his wife, Gure. Trunks sat next to Bulma, with Bra on his other side and across from Bra and next to Gure, was Goten.

It felt so normal having Goten sitting with her family, like he belonged there. He was eating as he usually did, messily, but it didn't seem out of place. Bra bit her lip as she looked down at her plate. She could feel Trunks looking at her questioningly, no doubt because he could feel what she was currently feeling, but thankfully he didn't question it and neither did her mother. The feelings coming from Bra was pure contentment and whenever her eyes locked with Goten's, it was like her heart was skipping a beat.

What was happening to her? Had she always felt this way? Looking at Goten through her bangs, Bra narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. She and Goten had always had a special sort of bond, but what did that mean? It was different than the one she had with any other men. If she really thought about it, Bra would say it felt a little like what she felt with the members of her pack. They made her feel safe, like they would die to protect her. Would Goten do that for her? Would she do that for him?

"Is something the matter, Bra?" Tarble asked in his usual calm and relaxed voice.

His voice knocked her out of her thoughts, especially when Goten looked up and raised an eyebrow at her, noticing how her eyes were on him. Bra felt like slapping herself. How embarrassing! She had been caught _staring_ at Goten. Shaking her head, Bra looked at Tarble and smiled. "I was just thinking about our training sessions and I must have zoned out."

Tarble nodded with a smirk, silently telling Bra that he didn't believe her excuse for a second. "We can start whenever you want to."

Despite his smirk annoying her, Bra smiled brightly. "Really? How about we start tomorrow, then?"

He chuckled. "That's fine by me."

"I want to train you, too."

Bra looked up at her brother, her eyes wide with shock. Not only did she look at him in such a way, but so did everyone else around the table except from Bulma. "You want to train me? Why?"

"You have potential." was all that Trunks said as he continued eating.

He didn't want to get her hopes up just in case she couldn't unlock the legendary. So far, those who unlocked it had witnessed death or saw the ones they loved close to dying as well as themselves. His father and Kakarot had become Super Saiyans when something happened to his mother during the war. Kakarot's eldest son, Gohan, had become a Super Saiyan when he was on a mission on Earth and saw the woman who was now his wife, close to dying when she was being attacked. He himself had become a Super Saiyan when he learned that his mother had almost died in the war, even though it had been long before he was born and Goten had… Trunks's eyes widened.

Goten had become a Super Saiyan when Bra had almost died.

Why the hell hadn't he noticed Goten's feelings for his little sister sooner? It should have been so obvious! On the mission when Pan had lost her cool and blew their cover, Bra had been only minutes from dying. Trunks had always thought that Goten had become a Super Saiyan because _he_ had been dying but now that he really thought about it, there hadn't been a single scratch on Goten's body when he returned to the ship with Bra. Sure, later there had been bruises, but that was all.

Looking at his best friend, Trunks furrowed his brows. He hadn't failed to notice that when Bra had smiled genuinely, so had Goten. Not only that, but now whenever he looked at her, it was like the third class was trying his best not to smile. Did seeing Bra happy really make Goten happy?

'_Goten, I need to speak with you.__'_ Trunks's voice spoke into his mind and it took everything in Goten _not_ to flinch or cringe as he felt his best friend's presence in his mind.

Since they were just children, he and Trunks had always been close and one day, after they had learned what Trunks's gift was, Goten had let the Prince practise on him. Ever since that day, Goten hadn't complained when Trunks spoke to him via his mental ability. However, he only ever did it when something was extremely private and he didn't want anybody else to hear what he had to say. It had been months since the last time Trunks had used his gift in such a way.

Seeing that he had Goten's attention, Trunks spoke again via the connection. '_Are your feelings for my sister real?__' _When Goten frowned, he spoke again. '_I don't mean is it more than just lust, because you know that my father would kill you __if it wasn't__. I mean__…__ do you love her?__'_

'_It's more than lust_.' came his hesitant mental–voice. Goten knew that it would do no good to lie to Trunks as he knew him too well. '_I don't know how to explain it without sounding like a girl.__'_

If he hadn't wanted to keep their mind conversation a secret, Trunks would have rolled his eyes. Trust Goten to be worried about sounding like a girl! '_Just say what you're thinking, Goten. I'll know anyway.__'_

There was a mental sigh before Goten spoke again. '_It was never about lust when I first realised I had feelings for Bra. __I just want her to be happy._'

Once again, Trunks had to refrain from rolling his eyes. How did that sound girly? They all wanted her to be happy!

'_Even if she doesn't want to be with me,__'_ Goten suddenly continued, grabbing Trunks's full attention, '_I'll still be there for her.__ I'll be whatever she needs me to be. A friend, a protector or a lover. As long as she's happy, I don't care.'_

* * *

><p>"You've been quiet tonight." Bra commented as she and Goten walked through the halls of the palace.<p>

Goten simply smiled at her. "It's nothing."

Seeing that he would rather not talk about it, Bra nodded and left it alone. It hurt her that he didn't feel as though he could confide in her, but knowing Goten the way she did, he most likely didn't want to trouble her with his problems. Bra hoped that it wasn't anything serious, because he looked quite upset and troubled.

"Are you staying over again?" At her question, Goten looked at her questioningly but before he could say anything, she continued with a shrug. "I kind of like having you with me – not in a creepy way." They both smirked. "I like having you around."

The night before had been one the best nights sleep she had had in weeks. Having Goten in the room next to hers made her feel safer, especially since he kept his energy high enough so that she could feel it in the air around her. It calmed her a lot. The next morning had been nice, too. They had had breakfast in her quarters and just hung out together until Trunks came by, telling her that their mother needed to see her immediately. He hadn't seemed too happy about seeing Goten in her rooms, but Trunks hadn't questioned it, especially when he saw how relaxed Goten's presence made Bra.

"I don't know, Bra." Goten frowned as they came to a stop outside of her rooms. "As much as I want to, it wouldn't be appropriate. If the elders found out–"

"Screw the elders!" she hissed angrily before taking a calming breath and giving him a smile. "I'll just say you were keeping the nightmares away."

Goten couldn't help but smile at her. There was a softer look in her eyes whenever she looked at him and it made his heart race. Did she feel the same? "I'll have to go back and get some stuff first."

Nodding, Bra turned back to her door but before she entered, she looked over her shoulder at him. "Don't take too long!"

* * *

><p><strong>HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)<br>**


	14. I Want You Both There

**Chapter 14 ****– ****I Want You Both There**

It had been three weeks since her uncle Tarble had started training her and unlike what Bra had once thought about him, that he didn't take his training as serious as her father did… She shook her head, not even able to think of any words. He pushed her way beyond her limits, only stopping when Bra was on the verge of collapsing. It was because of this that her speed had increased almost dramatically.

Well, it wasn't completely because of Tarble.

When she had finally been completely healed, the jump in her power level had been bordering on ridiculous and for three days straight, her father had had to keep her locked in the gravity room with him, not allowing her to come out until she could control her new power.

It had almost ripped her apart.

She had never felt anything so exhilarating before.

After her father had taught her how to control her power, Trunks and Goten had both squeezed their way into her busy schedule, teaming up on her and working on her defence. Or at least, that was what Bra thought they were doing. They were both pushing her almost as hard as Tarble was. In a way, it felt like they all knew some big secret and she was the only one who didn't. It didn't bother her. As long as they made her stronger, helped prepare her so that she could find and squash that bug, Babidi, then they could have all the secrets they wanted.

Despite having walls put up in her mind, blocking out the worst of what had happened to her, what had been done to her, Bra was left feeling… unsatisfied. There was a darkness inside of her now, one that she was certain the others had seen, if the looks they gave her were anything to go by.

What she wanted was to make somebody pay for what had been done to her.

What she wanted was revenge.

And Bra was determined to get it.

Quickly flipping in the air, Bra landed on Trunks's back, jabbing a pressure point with her fingers before vaulting off him and kicking Goten in the stomach. Behind her she heard Trunks grunt as his right arm was rendered useless and in front of her, Goten growled as he skidded to a stop.

They were going easy on her, but Bra couldn't really complain. She knew that right now, she didn't stand a chance against them if they turned Super Saiyan or used the fusion technique. Besides, she was quite content that she was able to keep up with the both of them even if they were only in their base forms.

"Where the hell did you learn a move like that?" Trunks practically whined, trying to get some feeling back in his arm.

Bra shrugged. "When I was younger, dad taught me more about self–defence than actual battle. I could have dislocated your shoulder, but I didn't see the point." she quickly glanced at him over her shoulder before looking back at Goten. "It's not permanent, by the way."

"Oh that makes it _so_ much better!"

She rolled her eyes before giving Goten an impish smirk (one that left him breathless) and disappearing.

Pain erupted in his back as she slammed her foot into it, making Goten tumble forward and just barely missing Trunks as the latter dodged out of the way. Damn, Bra had gotten fast!

They weren't using any ki blasts, choosing instead just to work on their hand–to–hand combat. After all, you never know when you may have to fight without your ki.

Bra spun around and smashed her fist into Trunks's stomach, only giving him a quick glance as he went wide eyed and his mouth swung open, the air whooshing out of his lungs. Goten was on her in a second, though, backing his friend up as he tried to recover.

For a couple of minutes, they exchanged blow for blow, each becoming much stronger as Bra once again felt the need to prove herself to Goten, to challenge him, fill her entire body. It seemed Goten was also feeling the same way as he suddenly jumped away, putting some distance between them. Bra placed her hands on her knees and leaned over, panting hard as she tried to calm her heart and breathing down, only to fall to the ground to avoid a roundhouse kick to the head. With a growl, she slapped her hands to the ground, her foot lashing out and striking Goten under the chin. Bra was quick to once again dodge as Trunks shot forward, his fist drawn back. She met him halfway, throwing her own punch as she narrowly missed being hit by his. It grazed her cheek, the force making her stagger for just a second, but that was all the time Trunks needed as he smirked and swept her legs out from under her.

"O–Okay!" Bra panted hard, feeling completely worn out and winded as she stared up at the ceiling of the training room. "You guys win."

"You did well." Trunks complimented her, falling to the ground next to his younger sister.

Goten managed to drag himself over to them, chuckling as he did. "Yeah… I think you might have actually cracked a rib or two there!"

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

It was silent for a moment as the three continued to stare up at the ceiling and during that silence, they managed to calm themselves down. The two men could tell that Bra was thinking hard about something, but neither pushed her to actually tell them what she was thinking about, knowing that she would tell them eventually in her own time.

And she did.

"Guys?" When they both hummed in acknowledgement, Bra continued almost hesitantly. "I know you both know that I want to find Babidi." It was silent for a moment once again. "And when I do… I want you both to be there with me."

Goten turned his head to the side so that he could look at Bra and slowly, he sat up, using one of his elbows to lean on and on the other side of her, he saw Trunks doing the same. They exchanged a look, both thinking of the same thing before Trunks spoke up. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, but didn't give them a reason why. Honestly, Bra didn't even have a reason why. She just wanted them there and she always got what she wanted. Perhaps it was because Bra wanted them to see how powerful she had become, to see how much she had grown in strength and power? Or maybe it was just because she wanted them there to be her backup, to protect her just in case something went wrong? At the moment, she didn't know.

"We'll be there." Goten smiled, though Bra didn't see it since her eyes were still glued on the ceiling. However, a second later, she turned her head so that she could look at him and having her attention made him grin before he could even stop himself. "So, now that training is over, does that mean we can go and have something to eat?"

"All you ever think about it food!" Bra laughed as she playfully punched his arm.

Oh how very wrong she was.

All Goten ever truly thought about was her and when he felt intense eyes suddenly on his face, he knew that Trunks knew it too.

Bra didn't seem to notice, however, as she was immediately on her feet, her hands on her hips as she started walking over to the door, just barely looking over her shoulder as she called, "Are you guys coming or not?"

They didn't need to be asked twice.

* * *

><p>Goten had practically moved into her quarters and even though her father was far from happy about it, Bra didn't care. She liked having him around, liked how when she woke up, she would find him in the kitchen, helping himself to her food but at the same time, he also made her breakfast, too. She liked how he let her choose the film every night and not only that, but Goten also let her cuddle with him on the sofa.<p>

Having Goten around made Bra feel safe, _special_.

There was no chance in hell that she was giving that up.

Yes, it was pretty selfish of her to act in such a way, but Bra thought that she more than deserved to be a little selfish.

He always took care of her, always made sure she was comfortable. On more than one occasion, Bra woke up beside him, somehow having sneaked into his room during the night so she could use him as some sort of snuggling pillow. It didn't shock her, really. It didn't shock Goten either. They had slept next to each other on missions before, had shared beds. Hell, they had even bathed together once when they had been stranded on a foreign planet and had been split up from the rest of the group!

It had been a test, one where they were not allowed to use their ki. Their squadron had been split up during an ambush and Goten had just barely managed to get them out of there. In order to wash the blood off, but also trying to be as quick as possible, the two of them had stripped down to their underwear and bathed. It hadn't been awkward or embarrassing because as a warrior, there was no room for petty emotions such as that. It also helped that Bra had been confident about her body.

After that, they had never really spoken about it again, although Bra knew for a fact that Goten definitely started to view her as a woman instead of some scabby kneed brat. It wasn't that he had been aroused, it had been because of her gift. She had teased him one time, saying something dumb about her being a woman and in response, he had said she still looked like a little kid to him.

He had been lying.

Ugh! Why did that thought make butterflies fill her stomach? Why did it make her want to giggle, to laugh, to jump and scream? Yes, she knew that Goten was attractive, but those butterflies shouldn't be there. They needed to be killed. But… she didn't want them to be killed.

Slowly, Bra sat up, looking up at Goten's dozing features. She rolled her eyes – she knew he hadn't wanted to watch that film! Why did he let her put it on if he was just going to fall asleep? Biting her lip, Bra assessed his features, but when her eyes drifted to his lips, she found that she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Bra?"

At the tired mumble, her eyes widened and the only thing stopping Bra from pulling out of his hold was the fact that Goten's arm had her pinned to his side.

As his eyes locked with hers, Goten gulped at the predatory look that entered them when they drifted to his lips once again, surprising him as they did. Of course he had seen some of the signs that told him she was feeling _something_ towards him, but this? Really? Did she return his feelings?

It was almost agonizing how slow Bra leaned forward, but Goten didn't want to rush her or this moment. He wanted to make sure that she was completely comfortable, even if it meant he had to let her be in control.

He watched as stunningly blue eyes slid shut, as her face grew closer until it was less than an inch from his own, as he felt her breath against his lips, which parted ever so slightly with anticipation. For a moment, just as his eyes closed, there was nothing, but Goten could still tell how close Bra was and it only made the feeling of anticipation grow.

And then, her lips were on his and Goten's mind went blank.

All he could do was feel.

And kiss her back, of course.

It made him smile how slow and hesitant she was being, how nervous she seemed as one of her hands came to rest on his bicep whilst the other rested lightly on the back of his neck. Her lips were so soft, Goten noticed and he loved how they made his tingle. It only vaguely occurred to him that perhaps part of the reason behind her nervousness was because this was Bra's first _willing_ kiss? As her lips moved against his, as she gasped ever so slightly when he deepened the kiss, Goten inwardly nodded. Yes, this was Bra's first real kiss.

Just as he licked her lower lip and his hand moved to her hip, however, Bra tensed immediately and pulled back, her eyes wide.

"I–I'm not ready," she whispered, her eyes still wide, "to have–"

"It's okay!" Goten gave her a small smile, cupping her cheek gently just like she had done only moments before with him. "I wasn't expecting this to lead to us having sex." he couldn't help but smirk when she blushed and looked down at his hand, which was suddenly being held between both of hers. Noticing the slight tremble of her hands, Goten frowned. Was she scared? "Bra?"

"H–He _raped_ me, Goten." Bra told him as her body trembled but didn't, for a single second, take her eyes away from his hand in hers. "Even though mom and Trunks have put the walls up in my mind, I can still remember. And I… I don't think I'll be ready for… to have sex for a while."

Despite feeling happy that Bra trusted him enough to tell him such things, Goten couldn't help but feel saddened and angry as he watched her. No, his negative feelings weren't because of Bra, they were because of that monster who had hurt her.

"I don't care." he replied just as quietly, making her tear filled eyes snap to his. "I'm not going to lie to you and say that I haven't ever thought of you that way and not only because you can tell when somebody is lying to you. It's because lying to you makes me feel sick to my stomach. But, anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I'm willing to wait for you." Goten gave her a soft smile as he wiped away the tears that were falling down her cheeks. "I don't want to be with you just for sex."

And, just like he said, because of her gift, Bra could tell that he wasn't lying to her.

It made her feel a little guilty for not noticing his feelings sooner. "How long have you felt this way for me?"

"Two years."

There was a little hesitance in his voice, but Bra could tell why. Two years ago, she would have only been fourteen whilst he would have been around eighteen or nineteen. Whilst it wouldn't have been a big deal on Vegeta–sei, on Earth (and to their mothers), it would have seemed so wrong.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?" she asked quietly. "Or make a move on me or something?"

"You're my friend, Bra and I didn't want to ruin our friendship if it turned out to only be lust. When I found out it wasn't lust, though… Well I guess you could say that I wasn't sure _how_ to approach you. I mean, Vegeta and Trunks–"

Bra shook her head, giving him a small smirk. "Don't worry about them."

"I'm not."

"Good."

And with that, she kissed him again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN – To the guest account who reviewed last week: No, they weren't planning on sleeping in the same bedroom as Bra has a spare, but she made it a habit of sneaking into his room during the night.**

**emikot316: He is! But I'd like to think that he'd act that way over his little sister, especially after everything that happened to her.**


	15. A Slip In Concentration

**Warning: flashback of rape.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15 – <strong>**A Slip In Concentration**

"_I'll make you scream louder than any of your suitors ever will." he smirked._

_How did he know about her suitors? Sure, a lot of guys had attempted to court her and shower her with affection, but how did Buu know that? Had he been watching her? It wasn't as though she had done anything with her suitors, but that was beside the point._

_Buu climbed on top of the Saiyan Princess, not even bothering to be careful with his weight and Bra squeezed her eyes shut as a sharp pain made itself known between her legs as he thrust into her without warning. He didn't wait for her to adjust or anything of the sort. No, he held her legs as far apart as her restraints would allow as his thrusts came fast and hard. Due to how tense and stiff her body was and also because she had still been a virgin, Bra found it incredibly hard to ignore the pain._

_She couldn't help but throw up this time. It was all too much for her body to handle. The stress of being tortured as well as lack of sleep, food and water seemed to be crashing on her all at once. The heavy breathing and grunts of pleasure coming from the beast on top of her made her entire body shake as she tried to scream. Bra tried with what little strength she possessed to push him off of her, but nothing worked. Buu simply punched her in the face and smirked wickedly as her walls started to clamp down on__–_

"Vegeta, wake up!"

At the sound of his woman's screams, Vegeta's eyes snapped open and it took him a couple of moments to realise what had happened, to realise that he was trembling, sweating and felt like he was about to throw up. He was quickly on his feet and in the bathroom, hovering over the toilet as he felt his stomach muscles spasming, as he felt his stomach emptying its contents.

He was grateful that Bulma didn't follow him and left him alone for a moment and when Vegeta moved over to the sink to get the bitter taste out of his mouth, he washed his face in an attempt to cool down. However, as his eyes locked onto his reflection's, Vegeta felt his temperature shoot right back up. This time though, it was out of anger.

How could he not have been there to protect her?

He was supposed to be her father.

She was _his fucking daughter_ and he had just seen, through her eyes, her being raped.

Once again, Vegeta felt his stomach twist and churn sharply, but thankfully he didn't throw up again and instead made his way back to the bed he shared with his woman, falling rather ungracefully on it. A moment later, Bulma was lifting his head and placing it onto her lap, her hands running through his hair softly, soothing him the best she could.

"I'm sorry." she told him, trying her best not to start crying again. "I was having a nightmare… the exact same one you had… I must have dropped the walls hiding her memories from you by accident. It won't happen again, I promise."

Vegeta closed his eyes and sighed. "No. I'm… _glad_… that I saw part of what happened." he could feel Bulma's confused stare, so decided to tell her what he had planned. "I will start training Bra once more so it will not happen again."

He felt Bulma tighten her hold on him, felt her trying her best to lift him up, but when she failed, she huffed with annoyance and moved until she was on top of him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Vegeta. I don't think I can stand for anything else to happen to our daughter."

He didn't either.

* * *

><p>Bra narrowed her eyes but didn't remove them from her food. Something was different about her father today. He seemed… wary. It was like he was unsure and it was putting Bra on edge. Since when was her father, the King of all Saiyans, anxious, nervous or <em>uneasy<em>?

It wasn't like he was trembling or had shifty eyes. In fact, if you didn't know him as well as his family did (and possibly Kakarot, although Vegeta would never admit that) then you wouldn't have been able to pick up on the change in his mood. It was how he held himself, how his eyebrows knitted together every couple of minutes, how tight his tail was wrapped around his waist. Not only that, but by his side, her mother seemed just as nervous and kept shooting him, what she had probably thought and hoped were discreet, wary glances. She wasn't the only one to have noticed the difference, either. The moment Trunks had entered the dining hall, his eyes had snapped straight to their father before sliding to their mother, narrowing as their gazes locked.

Goten hadn't joined them for breakfast this morning, saying that he should probably eat with his family – like that made any sense. Usually, Goten ate wherever he could get food. It didn't matter to him about who he ate with because once he started eating, it was like talking to a brick wall. Not only that, but also Gure and Tarble hadn't joined them for breakfast, either.

They were hiding something from her, that much was obvious.

"What's going on?"

All three of them looked at Bra and seeing the look in her father's eyes, her own widened. It was a mixture between guilt and remorse, making her entire body fill with dread. The only reason Bra could read him so easily was because, with her gift, nobody could hide anything from her. No, she couldn't read minds like Bulma or Trunks, but she could tell when somebody was lying or trying to hide something from her and with that, she could clearly see the emotions somebody was trying particularly hard to hide.

Her wide eyes snapped to Bulma's, making the woman tense as she saw the betrayal in them. "How could you?"

"Bra, please," Bulma practically begged and stood up the second Bra did, "I didn't mean to! It happened whilst we were both sleeping. My control slipped up for a–"

"Bullshit!" she screamed, swiping her arms across her part of the table and effectively throwing everything to the ground. The moment she did, Vegeta and Trunks were also on their feet, watching her just as warily as Bulma was, ready to intervene if things got violent. Bra wasn't in the right state of mind and they could all tell. "You don't just _slip up_! I asked you not to show him for a reason." she continued to scream at her mother, ignoring the tears that were filling not only Bulma's, but also her own eyes. "You said you wouldn't tell him!"

Her hands went straight to the table, throwing it across the room, but she didn't stay to watch as it smashed into the wall, going straight through it and splitting the table in half.

* * *

><p>"It might be best if we keep what's happening between us a secret," Bra told Goten quietly, "for now, at least."<p>

He frowned, looking down at the girl in his arms and tightening his hold when he felt her shaking ever so slightly. "Did something happen?"

Very faintly, Bra nodded before taking in a shaky, uneven breath at the same time as her body once again started trembling. "My dad…" she whispered, not raising her head to look up at Goten. "He got into my mom's mind, by accident, when she was asleep. Through the memories, through _my eyes_ he saw what happened to me… h–he saw me being…"

"Hey, it's okay." he said just as quietly, trying to comfort her in any way possible. "Maybe Vegeta knowing what happened won't be such a bad thing–"

"I nearly attacked them, Goten!" Bra suddenly yelled, sitting up and pinning him with just the pained look in her eyes. There were tears flowing freely down her cheeks, making his chest ache as he realised there was probably nothing he could do to take that pain away. "When they told me that he had found out, when I saw that look in his eyes, I got so mad that I started screaming at them and throwing things. I–I didn't mean to!" she sobbed, her eyes lowering to her shaking her hands. "I didn't mean to hurt them."

She didn't mean to hurt her father. No matter how brief it had been, she had seen the look of hurt on his face. Was it because Bra hadn't wanted him to know? Surely her father had to understand that there were just some things she didn't want him to know about! Having him know about her moment of weakness, when she hadn't even been able to protect herself, was humiliating. All her life, Bra had tried to make him proud of her.

She still wanted to be his little girl.

Slowly, Bra got up and made her way over to the door, only vaguely telling Goten where she was going and in response, she received a smile from him and a nod.

The hallways were silent, though that didn't surprise Bra in the least. Unless they had permission from her, Vegeta, Bulma and even Trunks and Goten, then nobody was allowed to enter the living area of the palace and nobody at all was allowed to go near Bra's rooms. Well, her family were (Goten, too) but nobody else. Not even her friends.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Bra arrived, but for a couple of minutes, all she could do was stare at the door. Would her father even want to see her right now? She bit her lip to the point of almost drawing blood. The bond between them was ridiculously strong and Bra had always felt like Vegeta would be there to help her stand even when she was too weak to do so herself. He was her father, her _daddy_. She smirked softly to herself. Vegeta had always hated it when she called him 'daddy', saying that the word sounded utterly ridiculous, especially when used by a sixteen year old girl, a warrior.

Clenching her fists, Bra scolded herself. Why was she acting so pathetic? To get stronger, she needed to train and that was exactly what Vegeta was offering. Inwardly growling at herself, she raised her hand and knocked on the door, waiting somewhat patiently for the gravity to be shut down and the door to open. It only took a couple of moments, but when it did, Bra entered the room, the door shutting behind her.

Vegeta was silent as he watched his daughter enter the room and if Bulma was here, she probably would have said that he was sulking. No, she wouldn't have. She wouldn't have said something like that about something like this. "What do you want?"

Seeing his barely even noticeable wince, Bra knew that he hadn't meant for it to sound as harsh as it did. "I'm sorry for the way I acted at breakfast." she told him quietly, though refused to break eye contact with him even though she wanted to look at the ground. "And I was wondering if the offer still stands."

"Of course." he replied without missing a beat. After a couple of seconds of silence, Vegeta asked with a smirk, "Well? Are you going to keep standing there like an idiot, or are you going to attack me?"

Bra grinned and did just as he asked.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - There's a huge spider hiding behind my radiator and I'm terrified of spiders. It keeps running up and down the wall, appearing and disappearing. I think it's mocking me, you know. I don't want to kill it, because then I'll have spider guts on my wall, but I can't stand it being there and I am soooo tired!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	16. Do Not Take It Lightly

**Chapter 16 – Do Not Take It Lightly**

"Why can't Trunks or Goten teach me this part?" Bra pouted as she interrupted her father for what had to be the seventh time already – and they had only been in the training room for ten minutes! "This is boring. I'd much rather–"

"It may be boring," Vegeta interrupted her, ignoring the dark look she sent him. "but to become an even stronger warrior, to have no weaknesses at all, you must train your tail so you do not experience the pain you felt when it had been pulled." He was always good with wording his sentences, well, most of the time he was.

Suddenly, Vegeta phased behind her and before Bra could even react, he had a hold of her tail and just the feeling of him wrapping his hand around it, squeezing with just the smallest amount of pressure had Bra biting back a yelp of pain. Seeing this, Vegeta tightened his hold and the second he did, Bra was collapsing to the ground, her vision blurring and growing dark as she became lightheaded. Just as the pain was kicking in, Vegeta let go of her tail and moved until he was kneeling in front of her.

"You never trained your tail like I told you to." he stated rather calmly. "Why?"

Bra could see the growing annoyance in his eyes for her disobedience. "I–I didn't think I'd have to." she whispered, her eyes darting to the ground. "I thought that… that if I kept it around my waist, nobody would be able to get it."

His eyes narrowed as he grabbed Bra's chin and forced her to meet his eyes. "And what have I just managed to do?" Vegeta questioned, trying his best to ignore the hurt look in her eyes. "Your tail was around your waist yet I still managed to grab a hold of it." His features softened ever so slightly, making Bra relax. "Acting weak does not suit you, Bra, so I suggest you stop it. No child of mine will ever be weak."

The smile she gave him almost, _almost_, had him returning it.

"So why can't Goten or Trunks help me train my tail whilst you train me?" she asked after a couple of moments when Vegeta had stood up and made his way over to the gravity controls. "I mean, whilst you train me how to fight and protect myself better, they could help with the whole tail thing. Hell, even Tarble or mother could–"

"No." At her frown, Vegeta sighed and continued. "Since your mother is not a Saiyan, she cannot teach you to train your tail. Only a Saiyan knows how. As for Tarble, Goten or Trunks, it would not be appropriate for either of them to do so. It is true that, had I not been here, the responsibility of training your tail would have gone to your brother, but since I _am_ here, it is not allowed."

Her frown only deepened as she finally stood up, watching her father's every move as he folded his arms over his chest. "So… You're saying only a parent can help strengthen their child's tail?" When Vegeta nodded, Bra pouted. "But what about Goten? It's not like he's–"

The look Vegeta shot her had her eyes widening and her mouth snapping shut. Never, and Bra meant _never_, had Vegeta ever looked so annoyed with her. "To allow another to touch your tail means that that person has your full and unwavering trust. It is like you are giving yourself to that person. It may seem like a small gesture to others, but to our race, Bra, it is considered as extremely intimate. Do _not_ ever take such a thing lightly, do you understand me? If you ever give the wrong person such a level of affection and trust, it could get you killed."

After swallowing hard, Bra nodded quickly. It wasn't the first time her father had said so much to her, but it was the first time he looked so… emotional… whilst doing so. No, Vegeta didn't look emotional! Bra couldn't find the right word to describe how her father looked right at that moment, but it was obvious that he _really_ wanted her to understand what he was saying and take it to heart.

So she did.

"Let's begin."

* * *

><p>Later that day, after her training and at dinner, Bra watched how her father acted around her mother closely and for the first time, she saw how his eyes and scowl softened ever so slightly and if she hadn't been watching so intently, she would have missed it. Because of how closely Bra was watching them, she failed to notice when Trunks sat down across from her and Goten sat by her side, both shooting her strange glances when they noticed her staring at Bulma and Vegeta.<p>

And then, her father did something that made her eyes widen.

He wrapped his tail around Bulma's thigh, the tip of it beating against her thigh in content.

Immediately, she looked away, realising that it was in fact a very intimate moment. Not only that, but the place he wrapped his tail around was a little too high up Bulma's thigh and the tip of his tail was a little too–

Oh God.

No. No. _No_!

This was the reason why she and Trunks had their own section in the palace, because their parents, unfortunately, were in their prime. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vegeta smirking and Bulma shooting him an annoyed look, only for her eyes to widen a second later as she tried to fight back a blush.

It seemed she wasn't the only one to notice as Trunks immediately went ridiculously still and tense, his eyes glaring a hole into the wall behind Goten and Bra (the left eye was twitching ever so slightly) before they, unwillingly, slid to the side and under the table, only to snap away a second later.

He looked a little green, if you asked Bra.

The only person who didn't seem to notice was Goten, who was currently stuffing his face.

Both Bra and Trunks envied him at that moment in time.

They really did.

* * *

><p>It was late by the time she and Goten got back to their rooms. <em>Their <em>rooms. Bra quite liked the sound of that. Goten stayed over so much now that he may as well move in! However, despite thinking this, Bra didn't say anything. If she asked him to move in, he might think they were moving too fast. Yes, he said he had feelings for her and they had kissed two or three times, but she doubted that those feelings were love. At least, not yet they weren't.

She didn't even know about her own feelings for Goten. All Bra did know was that he was somebody she couldn't lose and he had her absolute trust. Absolute trust… it was a scary thought, but somehow, Bra knew that Goten would never hurt or betray her.

Shyly, hesitantly, her tail unwound itself from around her waist. Unlike other Saiyans, Goten didn't keep his tail around his waist when he was comfortable or with people he could trust, so at the moment, his tail was waving around in the air as he checked something on his scouter, something that made him smile. Before he could tell Bra the news, however, he felt something grabbing his tail, making him remove his scouter quickly and looking down, only to freeze in shock.

Their was something wrapped around his tail: Bra's tail.

The sight of their tails entangled made his breath catch, made his heart pound in his chest. Goten wasn't an idiot. He knew what something like this meant.

Looking up at Goten, Bra bit her lip softly. He was leaning over her – practically _towering_ over her – and the look in his eyes had her heart skipping a beat. It was a look of pure adoration, of unwavering loyalty and… and unconditional love.

'_Am I seeing this right_?' Bra thought as she reached up and gently cupped his cheek, smiling ever so slightly when Goten's eyes closed and his lips parted at her touch.

How long had he been feeling such a way for her? Was it only recently? They had been spending quite a lot of time together, so it wouldn't surprise her, but something was telling Bra, nagging at her, that the feelings and emotions she could feel radiating off of him went much deeper than that, that they had been there so much longer. It surprised Bra, though. Why hadn't Goten told her about his feelings, or at least made a hint that he had feelings for her? Yes, he had told her he had feelings for her, but love? Goten loved her?

Goten leaned forward slightly and once again, Bra's heart skipped a beat as her entire body filled with anticipation. As he continued to move, she wet her lips before standing on the tips of her toes and meeting Goten halfway.

The moment their lips met, Bra felt as though her heart was throwing a party, like it was setting off millions of fireworks. There were many butterflies in her stomach and a delicious shiver shook her body. In response to that, Goten's hand pressed against her waist, pulling her closer and sharing his warmth as his lips moved against hers gently. The feelings she could feel were amazing and she never wanted them to end! Lifting her arms and wrapping them around Goten's neck, Bra lifted herself, practically arching into him whilst his hold on her tightened.

However, it seemed their lungs had other plans in mind as they broke apart for air, but after a couple of seconds, Goten moved forward once again, though this time, his kiss was harder, more heated and Bra felt pleasure shoot down her spine. With that pleasure, however, came fear when his hands moved to her hips, lifting her legs until they were around his waist and pressing her against the wall. She could feel the effects their kiss had on him as his erection pressed against her, but it didn't bring her any pleasure.

As his lips broke away from hers and moved to her neck, Bra blurted out, "S–Stop!"

And immediately, Goten seemed to realise how far he had taken their kiss, his eyes going wide as he leaned back to look down into Bra's wide eyes. He could feel guilt filling his entire being, but just as he was about to pull away, Bra yanked him down against her, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry." Goten whispered into her hair, his hold just as tight as hers.

Bra simply shook her head, not able to speak for fear of her voice shaking, but refusing to let him go as she felt tears filling her eyes and not for the first time, she felt anger flashing through her. If it hadn't been for Majin Buu, she and Goten could be together that way, they could be happy instead of being… _this_.

Oh how she was going to rip Babidi to shreds when she got a hold of him.


	17. Problems

**Chapter 17 – Problems**

In a way, despite not liking how alike they looked, Bra had always admired Bulma's looks. There was no denying that she was beautiful and it seemed motherhood made a woman just that more attractive. Well, that's what Bra had heard people say about her mother.

However, Bulma had not aged a single day after she turned thirty.

Her mother still looked rather young for a woman who was supposed to be going into their fifties soon. In fact, she didn't look a day over thirty, possibly twenty–five if it was a good day. It was a little strange that their mother looked so young, especially since Trunks was in his twenties, but it kind of made sense that she had done what she did. If Bulma hadn't gone to some planet and asked for their help, then she wouldn't still be the formidable warrior she had been back in her teens/early twenties. Humans aged and when they aged, they slowed down. It was a completely natural thing, but as Queen of over half the universe, Bulma hadn't allowed that to happen. She would never go into detail on how she managed to keep her youthful appearance, but she had heard that apparently, Bulma had made a wish.

Bra scoffed. Yeah, like that was possible. If you could wish for anything you want, anything at all, then surely more people would know about this strange planet? But then again, maybe it was all a big secret to keep that from happening? If everybody knew about such a place existing, they would all be there asking for stuff.

What stumped Bra was that if Bulma had in fact made a wish to stay young, why hadn't she wished for her parents back, or for Vegeta's parents back? Was it possible to bring people back from the dead? Probably not, but still, did she even try? Bra didn't want to ask. Even after thirty years, Bulma still got upset every now and then about the death of her parents and it was obvious that her father – in his own way – also got upset. He would intensify his training and refuse to talk to anyone for hours, sometimes even a couple of days.

Grabbing a couple of capsules, Bra shoved them into a small metal case and left her room, only to bump into her mother the moment she was out in the hallway. '_Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear_,' she thought wryly.

"Bra," Bulma smiled as they walked side by side to the docking station, "how are you feeling?"

"Great. I can't wait to visit Earth again, I've been needing some new clothes."

Not a complete lie, but Bra didn't really want to go to Earth. She wanted to keep training here on Vegeta–sei, where the climate was much harsher. Sure, her father had a gravity room and a climate changer on Earth, but on Earth, Bra had friends who would no doubt want to spend time with her. It wasn't that she didn't want to see them, because it would be nice to know if they were well or not, but right now, she didn't have time to focus on other people. She had to train and grow stronger so that she could defeat Babidi. Perhaps then, she could get back to normal.

"So do I!" Bulma practically yelled in agreement before grinning. "We can go shopping together and make a day of it! I think Pan and Videl will be going shopping too. She was saying something the other day about Pan wanting to be more mature and grown up."

That didn't surprise Bra in the least. Pan was fourteen–

Shit.

She was fifteen now.

"I forgot Pan's birthday." Bra whispered, looking down at the ground and scowling. What sort of friend did that make her if she had forgotten her best friend's birthday?

"Hey, it's okay." her mother said gently. "You've been busy lately and Pan understands that. I'm sure you can make it up to her when we're on Earth."

Bra nodded silently. Yes, she was definitely going to make it up to Pan. Anyway, as she was saying before she so rudely interrupted herself, Pan was now fifteen and if the conversations they had previously had together meant anything, she would be trying to look as grown up and as mature as possible. Bra had tried to tell her that she didn't need to try so hard to be beautiful, but then Pan went off on a rant saying that standing next to Bra made her feel ugly. They had fallen out that day, Bra saying that if being next to her made her feel so ugly, then maybe they shouldn't be friends.

They made up by the end of the week, Pan having noticed that, in her own way, Bra had been trying to save her from feeling so low about herself.

Now, Bra was determined to help Pan out. What was one day? It wasn't like she was going to grow any weaker by missing one day of training.

* * *

><p>It turned out that it wasn't only her, Bulma, Videl and Pan going to Earth, though it shouldn't have surprised Bra given what had happened recently. No, her father was coming, as was Goten, Trunks, Kakarot, Gohan, Chi–Chi, Tarble, Gure and Raditz. It was just a precaution, but you would have to be downright retarded to try and attack them now.<p>

Luckily, the King and Queen didn't have to stay on Vegeta–sei, since Bulma was from Earth. In fact, they often spent a couple of months on Earth every year, even though Vegeta always complained that the planet's gravity was pathetic and that every time they went there, Bra always managed to get him to take her shopping. Somehow, Bra was sure that it wouldn't take nearly as much effort as it once did.

Looking after things back on Vegeta–sei was Nappa and Bardock, her father's advisers. Just like, on Earth, Krillin and 18 took care of things until they showed up.

Since that night in her room, Goten had been hesitant about touching her, scared he might react like he had a week ago. It made her heart _hurt_. She didn't want Goten to feel that way around her. She wanted him to be himself. Now, even though she could feel him sitting quite close to her, it felt like there was a huge wall between them, one that he had put up.

It took everything in her not to start crying, instead settling on biting the inside of her cheek and glaring at the ground.

Trunks looked down at his sister, frowning as he felt through their bond that she was distressed about something, but he couldn't tell what. Like he had told her before, he and their mother could only sense her emotions and feelings because of them both holding back the memories in her mind. If they thought Bra was in danger though, they could read her mind in an instant.

The moment Bulma had told them it was safe to move about, Bra didn't spare anyone a single glance as she left the room with Vegeta right behind her, the both of them heading towards the training rooms. Bulma bit her lip, watching her daughter go and wanting nothing more than for her to stay. Like Trunks, she had also felt Bra's sadness through their bond and she didn't want her daughter to do what her father did when he got angry or sad: train until she was on the verge of collapsing and couldn't even move, couldn't even think. It was probably why Vegeta had followed her. They had always had a strong connection. He would stop her from doing anything reckless.

"What's up with Bra?" Pan asked, looking up at her parents before looking over at Trunks and Bulma.

He glanced up at his mother, neither able to hide the worry on their features as Bulma continued to chew on her lip whilst his frown deepened.

After a couple of seconds, however, another person left the room in pretty much the same way as Bra, making their eyes widen.

Goten.

"Do you think they're fighting?" Chi–Chi asked no one in particular, though Videl immediately answered by shrugging her shoulders softly before looking up at Gohan, silently asking if he knew what was going on with his brother.

If the look on his face was anything to go by, he did.

Trunks's eyes narrowed the second he noticed. "What is it, Gohan?"

"I can't say." Gohan sighed, feeling slightly unnerved by the fact everyone was now staring at him (or in Trunks's case, _glaring_). "I can assure you, though, that Goten hasn't hurt Bra. They just had a misunderstanding and got carried away."

That was the wrong thing to say. "Got carried away?" Trunks repeated, his voice sounding soft and deadly all at the same time before a harder, much darker edge entered. "They got _carried away_?"

"Trunks, calm down." Bulma told him firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder when she sensed through their bond that he intended on going after Goten. "You don't know what Gohan means by that."

Seeing what they thought he meant, Gohan's eyes widened. "Oh, no! They haven't done anything like that. At least, I don't think they have…"

Pan rolled her eyes. "Dad, that's not helping anything!"

"What _do _you know?"

They all looked up at Kakarot, who hadn't spoken a word since they got on the ship, which was strange for him. By his side, Chi–Chi frowned to herself, trying to think of what could possibly be wrong with Bra. "Look," she eventually said with a sigh, "this is none of our business. Bra and Goten are both adults now and as much as I wish they'd wait until marriage to be together in such a way, I'm going to support them no matter what. I've known Bra since she was a baby and I know they can make each other happy. Heavens know they, _Bra_, deserves this chance at happiness."

Without saying a word, Trunks nodded once before smiling at Pan. "Want to go train?"

Nobody thought Pan could smile so brightly.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong with you, Bra?" Vegeta demanded as she failed to dodge yet another blow.<p>

He inwardly winced when he heard the breath rush out of her and watched as Bra went skidding across the ground, tumbling and turning. He didn't help her up. With shaking limbs, Bra stumbled to her feet, gritting her teeth and grunting with pain before she clutched her side, her eyes squeezing closed. Yeah, her father had definitely cracked a rib. Just great.

"Nothing."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and dropped into a fighting stance, waiting for Bra to do the same before he shot forward, throwing so many punches that she struggled keeping up with them all. "This is hardly nothing, girl. You can't even focus!"

Upper lip curling with anger, her fist lashed out, catching Vegeta by surprise as it slammed into his cheek. She was too angry to take pride in the fact that she had just knocked Vegeta, her _father_, on his ass. Well, technically, Bra knocked him on his back before he shot straight back up. There was a knowing look on his face, one that made her eyes narrow even further as she clenched her fists.

"It's Goten." Vegeta stated, his voice emotionless, but Bra knew her father was getting angry. "What the hell could he possibly do to distract you _this_ much?"

"Just shut up!" she screamed at him, darting forward and landing a kick to his side, only to be thrown across the room a second later. "It's none of your business!"

Her father was suddenly right in her face, his fierce glare pinning her to her spot and making her eyes widen. "I _make _it my business, brat. You are my daughter and I will not have some boy making you weak or distracting you from your training. Is that understood?"

"Yes, father."

"Go." he told her, his narrowed eyes never leaving her face. "Sort out whatever the hell is going on because there is no point in training until you do."

He knew that from experience with Bulma.

Again, Bra nodded once, her features empty yet strangely like a sulking child at the same time. "…Yes, father."

As she walked through the hallways, Bra inwardly scolded herself. How pathetic must she look now? And in front of her father, too! Damn it. To make it even worse, her side was aching. It, obviously, wasn't the worst injury she had ever had, but it still hurt! With a sigh, she made a quick detour to the medical room, only to freeze when she spotted Gure cleaning in there. Bless the woman, she never took a break!

"Uncle Tarble isn't going to be very happy that you're in here cleaning." Bra smirked as she entered the room, making her way over to one of the cupboards.

"Oh! Good afternoon, Bra. I didn't hear you come in. Is something wrong?"

It was a bitchy thought, really it was, but when Gure hopped down from the examining table, barely even reaching Bra's hip, the Saiyan really couldn't help but wonder how the hell Gure and Tarble got together. Yes, Tarble was around the same size as Bra, but still. Briefly, Bra wondered about their sex life, but the thought was quickly slammed out of her mind. She did _not_ need to think about how her uncle had sex.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for asking, though." Bra smiled politely, trying her best to hide her shudder. Seeing Gure's concerned eyes when she saw what the Saiyan had been looking for, Bra continued. "I've just come from training with my dad. He managed to crack a rib or two, though that shouldn't have really surprised me."

Gure looked sympathetic as she grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge for Bra, handing it to her with a gentle smile. "I do wish he would be more gentle with you, you're just a child."

Simply shaking her head, Bra accepted the drink, though it didn't go unnoticed by Gure how she sniffed it warily before actually taking a small sip. "I don't." she replied firmly, like just the thought of Vegeta taking it easy on her offended her. "If my father holds back during our training then I will never get anywhere. I need him to push me over my limits."

"Of course, Bra." Gure sighed, watching as Bra ate a senzu bean before taking another sip of the water, this one much larger than the last. "But you're still only a child."

"I haven't been a child for a while now."

With that, Bra left the medical room, leaving a stunned Gure behind.

She hadn't meant to sound so harsh or bitter, but it was the truth. Majin Buu had taken her innocence and because of it, Bra knew that she was no longer a child. No normal child would have half of the thoughts that went through her mind. No normal child would dream of slaughtering Majin Buu and his precious master Babidi over and over again before waking up with a sadistic smile on her face. Yes, Buu was dead, but a girl can dream, can't she?


	18. Explosive Reunion

**Chapter 18 ****– Explosive Reunion**

The journey to Earth had only taken two days, thanks to Bulma and Trunks both being geniuses.

During the travel, Bra had hardly left her room, making the others worry about her. Her father had told her that there was no point in training until she could think properly, until she sorted out whatever the hell was going on between her and Goten, but that was easier said than done, especially since he was avoiding her just as much as she was avoiding him.

Actually, no. Goten wasn't avoiding her and never had been. In fact, during the past two days, he had come to see if she was okay several times, only to be met by silence. Bra didn't know why she was doing it, but what she did know was that not talking at all was better than pretending like there wasn't anything wrong between them.

So, when they finally approached Earth and they had to go to the control room to strap in, everyone turned to look at Bra, Goten included. He looked hurt and it made her chest ache.

"Bra!" Bulma snapped. "Hurry up and get strapped in, we'll be entering Earth's atmosphere in under thirty seconds!"

Pushing aside her thoughts, Bra did as her mother demanded, her eyes glued on the large window before them, showing them a breathtaking sight of Earth. Previously, Bra always smiled brightly at the sight of her second home, always talked with Pan or her mother about how much shopping she would do, which would lead to her teasing her father about him taking her shopping.

Now, they were all saddened as Bra did nothing more than stare emptily.

* * *

><p>The moment they were alone in their room at the palace, Bulma made sure that nobody was listening or within hearing distance before spinning to face Vegeta, her eyes wide with worry. However, when she didn't say a single word, he rolled his eyes. "What is it, woman?"<p>

"Bra." Bulma whispered, tears filling her eyes. "V–Vegeta… She's…"

His eyes narrowed dangerously. He did _not_ like the look in Bulma's eyes. "She's what?"

Bulma ran her shaking hands through her hair, the movements appearing jerky and stilted. Pacing back and forth in front of Vegeta, she looked over at him, only to look away the moment their eyes connected. "I didn't mean to." she told him, her voice laced with regret and guilt. "It had been a mistake, I swear."

"What did you do, Bulma?"

"She lowered her walls," Bulma replied, finally coming to a stop so that she could look at him, "she let both Trunks and me in. It was completely accidental and I don't even think Bra's aware of the fact that she did it, but… Vegeta, she's unstable." At the dark look on his face, she explained. "Somehow, everything she thinks about or does goes straight to revenge. She won't let anybody close to her and… the _things_ that she thinks about." her features flashed with horror, a haunting look filling her eyes. "She thinks of nothing more than killing Babidi."

His eyes rolled. "You're saying that like it's not normal."

"It's _not_!" she snapped angrily, stunning him with how fierce she looked. "This is nothing like how you and I used to think, how we used to dream about bringing down Frieza and his family. This is so much worse. Bra dreams about making Babidi suffer the way she did, slowly torturing him before bathing in his blood. She… she _enjoys_ the thoughts. They make her happy, Vegeta!"

For a moment, Vegeta was silent. "…Happy?"

Bulma ran a hand through her hair again, trying her best to reign in her emotions. "I can't explain it. It's like… It's like… Do you remember that time back when she was five years old? When she received a gift that she just couldn't let go of? We had to literally pry it from her hands when she fell asleep and she was always smiling and whatnot. You remember, right?"

Of course he remembered. It had been him who gave her the gift and Vegeta could still remember the feeling that had swelled within him when he saw her reaction, when he saw how happy it had made her. The gift had been a family heirloom, had been his mother's necklace. It had seemed like the right time to give Bra the heirloom. Now, it was sitting in her room back on Vegeta–sei, only to be worn on special occasions. Over time, Bra had learned that that particular necklace wasn't a toy and it wasn't a piece of ordinary jewellery that she could wear all the time.

"That's sort of how the thoughts make her feel." Bulma whispered, tears once again filling her eyes. "…Revenge is all she can think of, Vegeta. Revenge and power."

Unless she was with Goten, of course, but Bulma hadn't delved too far into those thoughts.

Vegeta was silent again, trying to think of something he could say to comfort his mate, trying to think of something he could do to save his daughter from that darkness. He knew how bad that place could be and Vegeta knew that if his daughter stayed in that dark place too long, she would be driven insane. His little girl would be lost to the darkness.

"For now," he said slowly, glancing out of the window and avoiding Bulma's hopeful eyes, "we will keep this between us. Trunks included. Nobody outside of our pack is to know of what is happening, is that understood? Not even Tarble can know. It could start an uprising if the public found out that their princess is losing her mind and they will no longer trust her." Vegeta could see the disbelieving look Bulma was giving him out of the corner of his eyes and in response, he sighed. "Bulma, you know how hard it is to gain a Saiyan's trust. You have been in that situation before because of your inner–self. Do you want the same for our daughter?

"Until we figure out how to help Bra, we speak of this to no one."

Swallowing the lump in her throat and forcing back her tears, Bulma nodded.

* * *

><p>Like she had mentally promised herself, Bra was treating Pan to a day out. It was the least she could do and if the smile Pan had given her was anything to go by, she was very, <em>very<em> happy about it.

So far, they had been to the hairdressers where Pan had had her hair cut and styled. Instead of her hair trailing down her back, it was now just above her shoulders, giving Pan a more edgy look. Bra had decided to just have a trim and a deep conditioning treatment, making her hair feel incredibly soft. After that, they went to a beauty salon and had their nails done as well as other treatments.

And now, their mothers, as well as Chi–Chi, had caught up to them so they were all shopping together, looking around at different clothes and shoes. Honestly, Bra's mind wasn't even on any of the things she was looking at and, as she browsed through a selection of shirts that would have previously had her squealing, all she could think about was Goten.

He and Trunks were also in the city with them, though not actually with them. They were close by in case anything happened, but Bra knew that the two of them would be in the arcades.

They had been on Earth now for a day. After arriving yesterday quite late into the night, they had all gone their separate ways to their own rooms. Goten hadn't followed her and she hadn't asked him to, but a part of Bra wanted him to come after her, wanted him to pin her against a wall again and kiss her senseless. But that was just the thing. She was terrified of being so vulnerable again. She was scared of being weak. Weakness brought pain. But… the way she was acting now brought loneliness and Bra wasn't sure which hurt more.

Should she just push aside how she was feeling and face her fears head on?

Just as Bra sighed and placed the shirt in her hands back down onto a shelf, time seemed to slow down as a loud explosion sounded, as the glass windows belonging to the store shattered and cut into the bare arm she had raised to protect her face and neck when the force of the explosion blew the tiny pieces of glass inside of the shop. It stung and there was now glass stuck in her arm, but none of that seemed important as the planet started shaking violently, almost throwing her into one of the many displays.

What the hell was going on?

She was out of the store immediately, eyes narrowed and scanning the area. People started screaming, panicking and running around whilst desperately trying to get away from the attack and Bra's heart gave an uncomfortable squeeze as she realised who exactly was in that part of the city, the part of the city that had just been blown up.

It was almost automatic how she shot forward, Goten's name tearing from her lips as she screamed it at the top of her lungs, darting towards the blazing fire that she could already feel the heat from. There was smoke everywhere! How the hell was she supposed to find him? And what about Trunks? Oh God…_ Oh God_…

As she grew closer, the flames grew and when the smoke hit her, it was almost enough to knock her out, making her pause for a moment to cough. Just as she was about to continue, however, a figure standing amongst the flames caught her attention and Bra froze in her place as a familiar feeling crept over her. Even though she couldn't see their face, Bra knew exactly who it was and in response, her eyes widened, her heartbeat increased and she felt as though she had frozen in place. A cold sweat broke out across her skin despite the unbearable heat and her knees felt weak as all Bra could do was stare. After all of her training, all of her dreams and fantasies of getting revenge… all she could do was stare.

The smoke blew in a different direction and it was enough for Bra to finally see the face of the monster that had haunted her dreams and seeing her inability to move, Majin Buu smirked at the girl before he winked and disappeared. Bra's body started to shake violently as fear took over her, as she felt her stomach twisting so badly that she felt as though she was about to throw up.

"Bra, get back!" Bulma screamed at her daughter as she started to pull her away from the destruction.

The Saiyan Princess pushed her mother away as time seemed to speed back up and her mother's touch broke through her fear. "No, Goten is in there!"

"So is your brother, but we can't do anything if we go in there." Bulma spoke as calmly as possible, but it was hard when she knew that her son was somewhere amongst the flames, chaos and destruction. What if he had been knocked out? Or what if there was too much rubble for him to break free? What if he was unconscious and the fire got to him before he even woke up?

The thoughts were unnecessary as Vegeta, Kakarot and Gohan made themselves known as they shot across the blackened, smoke filled sky, already powered up to Super Saiyan so they could see more clearly with Raditz, Tarble and the human warriors right behind them, ready to help in any way they possibly could.

"I'm going to help."

Her mother looked at Bra like she was crazy, gripping a tight hold of her wrist. "No you're not, Bra. You're staying right here where I can see you." There was a meaningful look in her eyes, a warning look that froze Bra in her place, especially when Bulma's voice drifted into her mind. '_I saw him, too and I am_ not_ letting you go after him, yet. I'm not going to let him hurt you again. Not now, not ever. Do you understand me?'_

Slowly, whilst swallowing hard, Bra nodded, her hand clutching at her chest as she looked back in the direction she knew Goten was in.

Majin Buu could wait because right now, the man she was falling in love with was in danger.

And there wasn't a chance in hell that she would leave his side until she knew he was okay.

* * *

><p>It felt like hours had passed by before the warriors finally returned. The fires were almost completely put out now, but Bra's heart was still in her throat as she continued to chew on her recently manicured nails. Well, it was only her thumbnail but you get the point.<p>

The moment Gohan's feet touched the ground and Bra saw he was helping Goten stand, she shot forward, her eyes wide and filled with tears at the sight of his face which was blackened with dirt and soot. Bra could barely even feel their wary gazes as she raised her hands helplessly, trying to find a part of him that wasn't burned and seemed too painful to touch.

"Goten…"

She almost screamed when his eyes cracked open, giving her a lazy, pained smile. "Hey, Bra. What's up? Are you… talking to me… now?"

"You idiot!" Bra exclaimed, stopping her fist from hitting him right at the last moment. She didn't want to cause him any more pain. Her angry gaze faltered when he winced a second after he chuckled. "Come on, we'll get you to the hospital! Or get you a senzu bean… o–or put you in a tank–"

"Relax, Bra." Trunks wheezed from his place beside Vegeta, who was scowling at nothing in particular as he kept his son standing whilst Bulma fussed over him. "We're Saiyans, right? We can take a little bit of fire."

Unlucky for Trunks, Bulma didn't stop herself from hitting his shoulder. "A _little _bit of fire? Trunks! Almost the entire city was blown up! Oh, I'm sorry," she suddenly gasped, her hands gently holding him when he gasped in pain, "I didn't mean to hit you."

Trunks opened his eyes again, sharing a meaningful look with Bulma and as they – quite obviously, if you asked Bra – spoke through their mental connection, he stiffened, seeming to completely forget about his pain as his features grew angrier, as his fists clenched so tightly that they drew blood. No matter how hard he thrashed, how hard he fought to blast off, Vegeta kept him in place when Bulma silently asked him to. Once again, she said something to him, although this time, it was said out loud, though much too quietly for Bra to hear.

The sound of coughing caught Bra's attention and her head snapped to look at Goten, who seemed to grow more exhausted by the second. "Goten…" she whispered, her earlier tears filling her eyes once more before she looked up at Gohan, who was watching the interaction between her and Goten with a soft, knowing look. "Gohan, we should go and get him a senzu bean."

"Already have them!" a voice called a second before a set of feet tapped against the ground, telling them all of somebody's arrival.

Why wasn't she surprised that it was Tarble? After all, he was the fastest in the universe. Taking a senzu bean to give to Goten, she turned to face him, rolling her eyes when he opened his mouth, his eyes holding a playful glint in them. In response, she shoved the bean into his mouth, narrowing her eyes, though he could see her own playful look. Really, she was just grateful that Goten seemed to have forgiven her.

As his body mended, as his wounds healed and skin knitted together, his burns fading until only faint red marks were left, Bra sighed and couldn't help but throw her arms around him, inwardly weeping with happiness, happy that he was really okay.

"Bra," Goten chuckled, his hand rubbing her back gently, "I'm fine, really. It's Trunks you should be worried about. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have made it!"

"Liar!" Trunks rolled his eyes, making the younger warrior pout.

'_You okay?_' as Trunks's voice drifted into Bra's mind, it took everything in her not to jump or show any surprise. '_I know he was here, Bra. I could feel it. His disgusting energy is something I'll never forget.'_

'_I'll be fine,_' her thoughts held a dark edge that sent shivers up Trunks's spine, '_once I find that bastard and rip him to_–'

Before her thoughts could go any further, something clamped around her wrists, making Bra's eyes widen in betrayal as she felt her ki slipping away. "What did you do to me?" she screamed, spinning around to face the person who had put them on her, her eyes narrowing dangerously when she saw it was her mother. "Take them off." When Bulma shook her head, Bra growled viciously, her upper lip curling with her snarl. "Get them off of me _right now_!"

"No, Bra." she whispered, her eyes tight with hurt. The way her own daughter was glaring at her, the unstable, feral look in her eyes and the hatred and betrayal in her voice made Bulma's heart ache, even though the hatred wasn't directed at her. "See this our way, _please_. You're not strong enough yet and I refuse to let you get hurt again."

Barely even feeling the sting as her nails dug into her palms, creating half circles that bled ever so slightly, Bra's eyes snapped to her father's, who stared back impassively. "Get them off of me, dad."

Vegeta shook his head. "He's gone, Bra. You're too late." The feral look as well as the loathing in Bra's features increased, startling those around her. Just as she was about to scream at him, however, Vegeta interrupted her, his voice just as angry as hers had been. "Do you really think I would still be here if I knew where he was?"

Finally seeing his point, Bra closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down and was surprised when a hand grasped hers, fingers lacing with her own, helping her to calm down.

Goten.

And then, almost startling the life out of her, Vegeta's voice came through her mind via her mother's gift. '_You are not to leave my side until we know where Buu is. Is that understood? When you have proven that you won't act like a fool and go after him unprepared and without a plan, I will remove the ki restraints and we will resume training once again. That way, when you go up against him, you_ will _win.'_

He father believed in her.

_He believed in her._

* * *

><p><strong>AN - You didn't really believe that Majin Buu was dead, did you? After all, he _can_ regenerate! ;-)**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	19. Show Me What It Feels Like

**Chapter 19 – Show Me What It Feels Like**

It had been one month, two weeks and four days since the attack on Earth and still, nobody knew of Majin Buu's whereabouts. Krillin had had a vision not long after the attack, seeing him come after Earth again. It was why they were all staying instead of going back to Vegeta–sei, though not out of choice. It was because it was impossible for Bra to leave. Just knowing that Majin Buu could still be on Earth, just knowing that he was hiding somewhere, waiting to attack them, made her blood boil. After Goten was in the all–clear, they had had to lock her away for a week and keep the ki–restraints on her to stop Bra from going out there and looking for him.

She still wasn't ready.

But soon, she was going to make sure that the pink freak got everything he deserved and more.

"Morning," a voice mumbled from beside her a second before the arms around her waist tightened.

Bra couldn't help but smile as she turned to lay on her back, Goten instantly moving to climb on top of her and press soft kisses up and down her neck.

This wasn't the first time that they had woken up this way. In fact, it was kind of a routine. Every morning since Goten had started staying the night with her again (one month ago) began like this. He would often start at her lips and make his way down, going a little further each time, though, so far, no further than her stomach. Each kiss felt good, almost like heaven, but she hadn't been all that comfortable with going any further. One time they had tried, but just as Goten had positioned himself to enter her, suddenly, images of Majin Buu had jumped to the front of her mind, making her panic.

However, there was something different about today.

There was no fear. There was only love for the man who was caressing her body and showing such tenderness and adoration with each kiss, each stroke.

Strong hands moved across her thighs, stroking their way up and under her silk chemise, lifting it until it was no longer covering her and instead thrown across the room, landing somewhere by the end of the bed. The moment it was gone, his mouth descended to one of her rounded breasts, sucking, licking and kissing, making Bra arch into him with barely audible gasps. His tongue playfully flicked her hardened nipple and she felt him smirk against her when he noticed her reaction.

A familiar heat pooled between her thighs when Goten nibbled and kissed her other breast so that it wasn't left out. Bra had been aroused several times during one of these… _sessions_… though her fear had always been greater. It was because of this that she had never had an orgasm. Well, her body had that one time when Buu had raped her, but it hadn't been blissful. It had been painful and the fact she hadn't wanted to have sex with him made it even worse.

As Goten moved his kisses lower down her body, just as he had reached the waistband of her underwear, he felt her stiffen beneath him and when he looked up, he saw Bra biting her lip nervously, her stunningly blue eyes watching his every move, watching him explore her body. It was obvious she was still unsure, but Goten noticed that Bra seemed more relaxed today than what she had previously.

"Do you trust me?" his voice was soft, barely even louder than a whisper and in response, Bra's tail wrapped around his wrist, silently telling him that of course she trusted him. "The moment you want me to stop, tell me and I will, okay? I just want to give this a try, I want to show you that you don't have to be afraid anymore. I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise."

Her pride was screaming at Bra to tell Goten that she wasn't afraid, but they both knew that it would be a lie. Slowly, she nodded. "I know and I trust you… just… be gentle."

His eyes softened even further and the smile he gave her made her heart skip a beat. With a silent "I will", Goten sat up on his knees, smoothly sliding her underwear down her legs before stroking his way back up them, bringing a single finger to her opening and letting out a shaky breath when he felt how wet she already was.

They had never gone this far before, so, with a gentle reminder for her to relax, Goten stroked her, his fingers playing over her heated flesh, making Bra tremble and squirm. He didn't lay down on top of her, even though Goten wanted nothing more than to do that and feel her skin brushing against his, because he didn't want to make her feel as though she was being pinned down, or being left without any way to protect herself. He wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible.

It was only when she asked him to that Goten slipped his finger inside of her, watching as her eyes closed and her mouth opened with a breathless gasp at the feeling. Her body was gripping at his finger as he slowly pumped it in and out, watching her writhe and arch on the bed, watching her as she tried to find something, _anything_, to grab onto, watching as her eyes slid open, revealing to him her emotions as she discovered the pleasure he could bring her.

Goten didn't even need his sensitive sense of smell to pick up on Bra's intoxicating heat, the scent so thick that he couldn't help but taste her. Lowering himself slowly, as to not startle her, he positioned his face between her legs, keeping his eyes locked with hers as he did and smiling softly at the wonder he could see in them. Then, as his lips pressed against her, he watched as her eyes widened, watched as her hand swung through the air before she was gripping a tight hold of his hair.

Believing it to be a good reaction, especially since she was pulling him closer and not away, Goten increased the speed of his tongue, slipping in another finger at the same time, making her hips buck almost frantically against his mouth. He delighted in every gasp and moan, delighted in the fact her legs were beginning to quiver.

Bra's fear slipped away completely when she heard Goten whispering soft words to her between kisses, words filled with so much love and adoration, words that were encouraging her, reminding her that he was not Majin Buu – he was the man who cherished her and would protect her with his life. He would die to keep her safe. Her worries were forgotten as Goten's tongue and fingers worked over her, both inside and out and she couldn't help but let out soft moans and sighs.

Goten made sure to be gentle as he gradually built her up and as he felt her body tensing, he looked up just in time to see her fall apart, her mouth opening, but no sound coming out as her eyes squeezed shut. Her walls clenched and unclenched around his fingers whilst her body shuddered and Goten couldn't help but groan when a gush of liquid, sweet, _sweet_ liquid, covered his tongue. In his opinion, she tasted delicious as he helped her ride out her orgasm, slowly and softly licking her and thrusting his fingers inside of her, gently bringing her down from her high.

She was panting hard, her hair and brow slightly damp with sweat, but her expression was one of bliss, of contentment and there was a small, satisfied smile playing along her lips. Goten could tell just by that dreamy smile that she wasn't thinking of what Majin Buu had so wrongly done to her, but of him and how he could and _had_ just pleasured her.

It was only when her trembling had slowly stopped that Goten moved back up her body, gathering her in his strong arms and kissing her softly. When he pulled back, all he could see were impossibly blue eyes staring at him with wonder, with happiness and love and Goten couldn't help but drown in them.

And then, he was kissing her once again and she was kissing back with surprisingly heated passion, but what made his eyes widen was her hand slipping between them, reaching for his shorts.

"A–Are you sure?"

Bra smiled and nodded. "I want to know what it feels like to have someone, to have _you_, make love to me, Goten."

For a moment, he silently searched her eyes, only to nod a second later when he saw that she really did want to continue, that she really did want him to make love to her. The moment he nodded, Goten felt his boxers being removed, heard her breathe in sharply in surprise, but when he looked at Bra, there wasn't any fear in her eyes, just surprise and nervousness.

"Tell me if I'm going too fast." he whispered against her lips as he moved over her once again, positioning himself at her entrance and making Bra gasp as she felt his tip pressing against her. "If you want to stop, tell me. Okay?"

Again, Bra nodded and a second later, she gasped when he entered her with one swift thrust. Goten was still for a moment, groaning as he was enveloped by silky wetness and sweating lightly as he felt how tight she was. He watched her face and eyes before he lowered himself against her and immediately being welcomed in a warm embrace, her arms wrapping around him and her lips crushing against his. Goten could tell what she was doing: she was trying to take her mind off of the pain. After all, Bra had only been taken once and that time had been unwillingly. Really, if you thought about it, this was her first time.

He pulled his lips away from hers, kissing the corner of her lips, her chin and her neck. She was still holding him tightly and there was a slight tremble to her body. Looking up, Goten made sure that his eyes locked with hers as he pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. And in response to his tenderness, Bra relaxed against him, letting out a soft sigh when she saw that it wasn't red eyes that was staring back at her. No, these ones were dark brown. They were warm with emotion and love.

Slowly, Goten pulled his hips back before thrusting back into her. His body was demanding for him to go faster, to pound into her and claim her, but he stomped the primal beast in him back down. No. This wasn't only Bra's first time, but also his. He wasn't going to rush it. He wanted it to be special for the both of them.

Bra had always been beautiful to him. What with her silk soft hair, her stunning almond shaped eyes, her full lips… Now, however, was most definitely when she was at her most beautiful. There was a faint blush across her cheeks, her mouth open as she panted against his lips, her eyes half–lidded with pleasure and lust… This was a side nobody had seen other than him. Majin Buu didn't count because Bra didn't lower her guard around him like she was right now.

He wanted to be the only one to see her in such a way.

"Bra," Goten whispered, his lips claiming hers before pulling away for breath. She looked up at him, her hand tangled in his hair whilst the other rested on his back, her nails scratching him ever so slightly. He ceased his thrusts, making her whimper in protest. "Marry me."

She wasn't completely lost in pleasure as to not understand him, though it certainly took a few moments. It was quiet for a few minutes, with nothing more than the sounds of their panting for breaths. Goten squirmed slightly, though tried his best not to fidget.

And then, a bright smile graced her lips, reminding him of the old Bra, the one who was carefree and always happy. She was still in there. You just had to know where to look to find her.

"Yes! Of course I'll marry you." she gasped, crushing her lips to his and giggling. "I just wanted to watch you squirm for a bit."

Oh she was _so_ going to pay for that!

* * *

><p>Nobody missed how Bra was practically skipping as she walked, how she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. But that wasn't the only thing they noticed when she entered the dining hall with Goten right behind her.<p>

She was limping.

Bulma inwardly groaned as she quickly grabbed Vegeta's hand, silently telling him not to throw a tantrum. However, she couldn't help but smirk as she watched Bra. The girl looked like she had a corkscrew stuck up her–

"Stop it."

This time, she chuckled, ignoring Vegeta's glare.

"I don't think we need to ask why you two are late." Bulma teased, watching happily as they both blushed.

Trunks's eyes widened and he was on his feet in an instant. "If you guys are going to talk about sex, I'm going to go and eat breakfast with Goten's family. At least they're somewhat normal."

"About that…"

Everybody looked at Bra curiously as she glanced down at the table, her blush growing. It took only a second for Bulma to realise what Bra was trying to tell them and her heart skipped a beat as she felt happiness fill her entire body. But instead of saying anything, she continued to watch her daughter. The news would be best coming from Bra, after all. Trunks simply sat back down and like Vegeta, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Bra turned to Goten, biting her lip and seeing her nervousness, he nodded once before turning to the rest of the family with a bright grin. "I asked Bra to marry me and she said yes!"

Silence.

And then…

"That's great!" Bulma practically yelled as she jumped out of her seat and moved over to the couple, barely even giving them the chance to stand as she pulled them into a tight embrace. "Oh, I'm so happy for you both! Goten, have you told your mother, yet? You know Chi–Chi will want to help out as much as possible."

He shook his head. "No, not yet. But we plan on telling my family next."

"Bra?" She looked up at her brother, who was giving her a serious look. "Are you sure you want this? I mean, it's not too sudden or anything, is it?"

"I'm sure." Bra told them all without missing a beat. "I'm happy with Goten."

"Hn."

They all turned to Vegeta. Strangely enough, he wasn't screaming and shouting and attempting to murder Goten, making them all eye him warily. What was he planning? Bulma relaxed before taking her place beside him again, smiling softly at her daughter and soon–to–be son–in–law.

"Hurt her," Vegeta's voice was low and deadly, "and I will find a way to keep you alive whilst I make you eat your own internal organs."

Goten gulped.

However, Bra laughed like what he said wasn't terrifying at all. "Goten will never hurt me, dad." Then, almost as deadly as he had been, she added, "And I won't let you hurt him."

Vegeta smirked. "Very well. Now hurry up and eat instead of wasting my time. We're already late for training."

* * *

><p>Telling Goten's family had been easier than telling her own, Bra thought. There had been nothing other than smiles and congratulations. Well, Kakarot had almost crushed her to death when he had hugged her, spinning her around like she was nothing more than a doll. To be honest, compared to him (compared to <em>any<em> Saiyan male) she probably looked like a doll. Chi–Chi had demanded to know why she hadn't been told sooner, before calling Bulma and discussing the wedding. Gohan, Videl and Pan had all embraced them, the latter telling them that it was about time. Raditz had been more reserved about congratulating them, though had given Goten a firm pat on the back before reminding him who Bra's father was – like he could forget! However, they all knew that it was Raditz's way of warning Goten not to hurt her. Due to how close Raditz was with Bulma, he was protective of Bra, too.

"So, when do you plan on having the wedding?" Bulma asked them both.

All of their family members were present for dinner. In a way, it was a small celebration since Bra hadn't wanted it to be anything too big. She still didn't like being around large crowds of people. It was a good thing the table was so large, though. Her family, plus Tarble's, may be small, but Kakarot's was pretty large if you included Gohan's family as well as Raditz.

Bra shrugged and glanced up at Goten, who also shrugged. "When's the soonest we can have it?"

Bulma blinked for a moment, honestly surprised that they seemed so laid back about it. It was another reminder that the new Bra wasn't like the old one. The old Bra wouldn't have been able to shut up about it, would have been making list after list of everything she wanted for the wedding and of the people she wanted to be there.

"Well," Bulma seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Given that the entire universe wanted see me marry your father, they might want–"

"No." They all looked at Bra, who was gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. "I don't want my wedding to be broadcast across the entire universe! Majin Buu will be able to see it and I am _not_ having him watch me get married. I don't want him to know who Goten is."

"What?"

She looked up at Goten, her eyes narrowing. "He'll hurt you." Just when it seemed like he was about to argue, Bra snapped. "Trunks couldn't even defeat him, Goten! Doesn't that mean anything to you? _He blasted his fucking head off_! The bastard can regenerate and _you can't_. I don't want you anywhere near the creep."

It was killing her just thinking of Goten being hurt, made her feel like her heart was being stabbed repeatedly.

"It's okay!" Goten smiled his usual smile at her, which eased some of the pain, though did nothing to get rid of her building worry. "I won't fight Buu."

"Damn right you won't." she muttered, turning back to her food.

The others simply watched in a mixture of shock, concern and sadness.

"Since you don't want the universe to watch, I'd say you could be married in a couple of weeks. A month or two maximum." Bulma told them before glancing over at Vegeta. "Right?"

He nodded once.

Bra grinned before teasingly saying, "Who would've thought that it'd be me getting married first? Trunks, you better hurry up or I'll steal the throne from you."

Trunks couldn't even tell it she was being serious or not. "Like I'd let you!"

She flashed him a grin. "Is that a challenge?"

"I'm not challenging you." Trunks rolled his eyes, though couldn't help but smirk. "Besides, even if you do get married first, you still wouldn't be able to take the throne from me. Not unless you kill me."

"You can't become king without having a queen by your side to help you rule." she told him. "Knowing you, you'll probably get sentimental and–"

"I'm not sentimental!"

"Yes you are!"

"Not!"

"Whatever you say, _Princess _Trunks_." _Even Vegeta couldn't help but smirk with amusement, especially when Trunks grew red with a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. "But seriously," Bra turned serious, "you're going to have to find a mate soon, you know. Now that the council are off my back, they'll be hopping straight onto yours."

The sad thing was, was that it was true.

Chi–Chi glanced up at the two siblings, giving Trunks a smirk. "You're awfully red. Got your eye on anyone, Trunks?"

No matter how discreet she tried to be, they all noticed when Pan looked up and bit her lip worriedly.

"I might have."

Bra instantly felt guilty when she saw the crushed look in her friend's eyes, how she quickly looked down at her plate. Their previous conversations came to mind, where Pan had always degraded herself and gone on about how she was only a "third class brat who wasn't worthy". Bra had only been teasing her brother. She hadn't meant to hurt Pan's feelings or for Chi–Chi to bring up Trunks's love life.

"Who?" Goten questioned, frowning in confusion.

He yelped when a foot connected with his shin, but just as he was about to ask why Bra had kicked him, she shot him a warning look and motioned her head in Pan's direction, making his eyes widen. Pan liked Trunks? Yes, she always blushed around him and–

Oh man.

"None of your business!" Trunks smirked in reply, not seeming to notice that Goten wasn't even paying attention to him anymore. "Besides, I kind of like how things are right now between us and I don't want to rush it."

"Rush it?" Bulma repeated as she exchanged a look with Vegeta. "You mean, you're already with the girl?"

Trunks blushed when he noticed that everyone was looking at him. "Well, no… but that's only because I don't want her to have to put up with the stress of having the council breathing down our necks."

Maybe there was still hope! He may like Pan, after all.

Bra rolled her eyes. "Coward. You're too scared to ask her out."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are. Wouldn't you agree, dad?"

Vegeta smirked, knowing exactly what Bra was planning. "Yes."

"Not you too, father!"

Bulma groaned as she saw that the others seemed to amused. It was kind of funny, but the look on poor Pan's face… The only reason Bulma could tell was because of Bra. Well, that and the fact Pan looked as though she was about to start crying.

However, instead of her replying, it was Kakarot who spoke in between shoving food into his mouth. Vegeta, as expected, snarled with disgust at the sight of him. "Have you told her about how you feel?" he asked and when he received no answer, Kakarot swallowed his food (with a little difficulty, if you asked Bra) and sent Trunks a curious look, not even noticing how the entire table was looking at him as though he had grown a second head. "If she feels the same, she might not even care about the council!"

Kakarot was giving relationship advice? Vegeta was certain that he had seen it all now.

"No…"

"Then do it!" Videl told him with an encouraging smile. "You never know what will happen."

Trunks groaned, looking around the table, only to pause at the sight of Pan. What was her problem? "Pan, you okay?"

Her head snapped up immediately and Bra winced at the obvious fake smile. "Of course I am! Just… hearing about your love life – or lack of – is boring."

His eyes narrowed before he slowly turned back to his food, deciding not to answer as Pan continued eating.

'_Idiot._' his sister's voice drifted into his mind, opening the bond to him.

What was this, pick on Trunks day or something? '_What are you talking about?_'

Bra shoved some food into her mouth, not even looking in Trunks's direction. '_She's angry at you.'_

This time, Trunks couldn't help but look at Bra in confusion before glancing over at Pan, who had slowed down in her eating as she picked at pieces of chicken. Honestly, she seemed utterly miserable. '_Why's she angry at _me_? Have I done something wrong?'_

'_You're both idiots._' Bra inwardly groaned with annoyance. She had to stop herself from throwing her fork at Trunks's head and her plate at Pan's. '_Who is the girl you like?'_

'_Why do you–'_

'_Just tell me! Does she work here in the palace?'_

'_She's staying in the palace, but doesn't work here._'

Marron.

Oh God.

'_Marron?_' Bra scoffed, ignoring the strange looks she received. '_She's pathetic and weak. All she cares about is how perfect her hair looks or what her next diet plan should be. You'd think, what with her mother being an android and her father being Krillin, that she'd be a warrior. But no. She's just a civilian. No one special. The council won't allow you to marry her. Actually, no. _Dad _won't let you marry her.'_

He was silent throughout Bra's entire rant, letting her get it all out of her system before he sent her a confused look. '_Who said anything about Marron? And you shouldn't be so hard on her, you know. You're friends–'_

Standing up, Bra interrupted him as she wiped her hands on a napkin. '_I don't have time for weaklings like her. I need to get stronger and defeat Buu.'_

Trunks watched her leave with a saddened expression. This girl was not his sister. At least, not the old her.

It hurt him, if he was being completely honest and he wanted his little sister back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Like with Better In Time, I may take a little longer updating this. Right now, I've gotten to about chapter twenty-two, but I've hit writer's block. I've been doing one shots and other stories to try and get over it, but it's not helping! Ugh. Having headaches doesn't help, either. I promise I will try my best to write more chapters for both stories this weekend.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	20. The Legendary Saiyan

**Chapter 20 – The Legendary Saiyan**

"You came back."

Bra glanced at the person locked behind bars. When she had been locked away, this was where she had been brought. Not in the same cell, but the one next to it. Her mother and father had been outraged and reluctant to locking her away in a cell, but there was little they could do. The restraints they had put on her weren't for long–term use and would eventually start to suck out her life energy, too. So, they had placed her in one of these cells. The bars were made out of something, but Bra wasn't too sure what. Her mother and Trunks were the geniuses of the family. Not her. All she knew was that they drained your ki whenever you attempted to go near them.

There was a wall between her cell and the one next to it. It was a crappy way of giving prisoners some privacy – like it helped. There had still been guards who had frozen outside her cell, shocked to find her in it. Once, she had been so close to breaking out, telling them that there had been a mistake, but her father had made sure to tell them all that to protect her, she had to be locked away.

It wasn't until she was let out that she got a look at the person locked in the cell beside hers. They had spoken a couple of times and in a way, she kind of understood how he felt. Well, to an extent.

"Of course." Bra replied emotionlessly as she sat down in front of the bars, but made sure to keep a distance. He had warned her before that, when angry, he lost all control of himself.

The warrior was a Saiyan and not just any Saiyan. He had managed to unlock the legendary, but unlike the others, he couldn't control it. It was kind of like his power fed off his emotions and once set off, it was close to impossible to calm him down again. His father had disappeared with him when he was only a couple of days old and had plotted against the previous king, her grandfather. It was seventeen years ago when he had accidentally murdered his own father that he had returned. Bra hadn't known anything about his arrival on Earth – it was highly classified. He was mentally unstable and very unpredictable. Her mother had tried everything she could to help him, but there was nothing she could do.

"Why?"

Bra glanced up at the dark haired man. He didn't look like much, but Bra knew not to underestimate him. This was just his base form. Who knew what he looked like in his Super Saiyan form? Could he even turn into one now after all this time? She knew he still trained because she had heard him whilst she was next to his cell.

"Do I have to have a reason?" she asked, but when his eyes narrowed, she sighed. "I just… had to get away for a while."

He gave off a very powerful aura. That was the first thing Bra had noticed about the man. In some ways, she was certain that it rivalled Majin Buu's endless supply of energy.

The man scoffed. "Trouble in paradise?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Why? Are you jealous, Broly?"

They both knew that she wasn't being serious. After all, she was a sixteen year old girl and he was the exact same age as Kakarot.

If the bars weren't in between them, would she dare to talk to Broly in such a way? Probably not because he'd rip her to shreds in a second. Apparently he was even stronger than her father. The thought was ridiculous in her mind, though, because nobody was stronger than her father. But what if Broly was? Was that why they were so against letting him out of his cell? In case he tried to overthrow her father?

"Definitely."

Once again rolling her eyes at his sarcastic retort, Bra folded her legs Indian style and rested her hands on her knees. "I'm getting married." He raised a brow at her and she knew this was his way of saying he was surprised. "But I… I just yelled at him in front of my entire family _and _his."

Broly let out a booming laugh. "Nothing like being shown up by a weak female."

"I'm not weak!" Bra yelled at him, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Unless your mate is weaker than you?"

It seemed like a genuine question, but then again, with Broly, you can never really tell. "No. He's a lot stronger than I am. In fact, he's nearly as strong as my dad."

"And he let you get away with disrespecting him?"

"Goten knows not to push his luck with me!" Bra snapped at him. "What we had been talking about was serious."

"Oh?"

This was why she came here. Broly managed to make her talk about it without actually saying the words. She knew he couldn't care less, though. It was just… Well, they were similar, her and Broly. They were both more than a little insane.

Bra's fingers tapped a rhythm against her thighs. "I'm sure you felt the explosion not too long ago?" Broly nodded once, his tail unravelling from around his waist and waving through the air, telling her that he was excited. Violence always excited him. "Well… It was Majin Buu who attacked Earth."

Broly scowled. "I've heard of him. An old legend of some sort." he then sneered, "Plus you kept waking me up, screaming his name and saying that you were going to kill him."

If she was the 'old Bra', she would have blushed with embarrassment and humiliation. Now, however, she simply glared at Broly. "He tortured me for five days straight." she spat at him, her own tail lashing behind her angrily. "For five days I was beaten and raped. I was tortured in ways you can't even imagine!" Bra was now on her feet, as was Broly as he made his way over to the bars, his eyes flashing with anger, excitement and something she couldn't name. Instead of backing away, however, Bra stared him down with her own murderous glare. It was quite the thrill, really. "I don't want Goten anywhere near that bastard. If Buu knows that I care for him, he'll use him against me. He'll hurt Goten and I can't allow that!"

"You'll never be able to kill Majin Buu by yourself."

It took everything in Bra not to tear down the bars separating them so that she could kill Broly.

Not that she'd be able to.

"To kill him, you need an endless supply of energy. Even from here I could feel him and you're not in any position to be telling people what to do. You're just going to get yourself killed, you stupid girl."

Bra paused for a moment because whilst she was almost blinded by the amount of anger burning inside her, she could hear how genuine Broly was being. She could see the look on his face. He… He… "Why do you even care?"

Like her, Broly also paused before he said, so quietly she barely even heard him, "…because you're like me."

And then he moved away, turning his back to her and knowing that this was his way of wanting to be alone, Bra walked away feeling rather numb.

* * *

><p>So even Broly had noticed how alike they were? Not in power, of course, but mentally. They were both labelled as insane. They were both locked away and had their power drained to stop them from doing anything others considered as stupid or dangerous. Really, the only differences between them was that she had a family and Broly didn't. Well, not anymore he didn't. Also, instead of having her power continuously drained, hers was only when her parents were unsure of what she was planning.<p>

In a way, Bra felt sorry for Broly. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't control his emotions or power. And not only that, but for the last seventeen years he had been locked away in that cell, forced to live with the fact that he had murdered his own father as well as thousands of other innocent people.

Wait. What the hell was she thinking? Broly didn't care about innocent people. Yes, there was a small possibility that he regretted killing his father, but that was only a slim chance. The thing that most likely bothered him the most was that he was locked away, that his power was no longer there. He was weak now. And that was why she felt sorry for him! Bra didn't even want to think about how she would feel if their roles were reversed. She would never forgive herself for murdering her own father. She would be nothing without him!

Sighing, Bra entered her father's training room.

"Train me."

Vegeta looked down at his daughter. "I won't train a disrespectful brat."

Bra rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, copying her father's stance perfectly. "Fine, but I'm using your gravity room."

"Are you?"

At his smirk, her eyes narrowed. "Yes. I am."

"You don't know the passcode." he told her as he finally had enough of her attitude. "And if I am going to continue training you and allow you to use _my _training equipment, you will show me respect. Not only am I your king, but I am also your father."

Knowing that her father was just as stubborn as her, Bra closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine. Please will you train me,_ daddy_?"

His tail bristled at the sickly sweet tone and he knew that she was purposely trying to piss him off. She was too much like her damned mother! With a growl, he pointed over to the gravity. "Get in there and warm up at two hundred and fifty times earth's gravity."

* * *

><p>Wow. She had really pissed her father off, hadn't she?<p>

Vegeta hadn't held back in the slightest. He trained with her like he would Trunks, but wasn't that what Bra had wanted? Sure, she could barely even breathe without it hurting and he had literally had to carry her back to her rooms, but she would gain strength from this. Already Bra could feel her body healing itself, could feel it shifting and morphing so that it could make room for more power. She could feel it in her veins.

Angering him had been a good thing, Bra decided.

Even if she was currently dragging herself across her room, whimpering and barely holding back her cries of pain.

This was nothing. She had no right to cry over this minute pain because compared to what Majin Buu had done to her, _this was nothing_. And because it was nothing, Bra was forcing herself to keep moving, to walk over to her bathroom without help. It was embarrassing enough that her father had had to carry her back to her rooms. A bath would relax her muscles. No it wouldn't get rid of the pain, but it would help a little.

* * *

><p>Around twenty minutes later after getting in the bath, Bra's eyes snapped open as she heard her door open, as she sensed somebody entering her rooms. However, as his energy drifted over to her, telling Bra that it was only him, she relaxed once again.<p>

"Bra?" he called out.

"I'm in here."

Even if there weren't any bubbles covering her body, she wouldn't have cared about him seeing her body. They were getting married soon, after all. Still, it was a good job she had decided to use them as it could have been anyone.

Married. Honestly, Bra hadn't ever given much thought to getting married before. As a child, she had wanted to – what child didn't? But now, it just felt like something that… She didn't even know. Part of her believed that getting married was a great thing and it made her happy and feel warm inside. But another part of her simply shrugged and asked what the big deal was. Who cares about rings? Who cares about signing a piece of paper? Yes, a royal wedding was a little different (especially since they were half–Saiyan so would have to include the Saiyan's version of a wedding), but it was more or less the same.

Goten knocked on the door once before stepping inside and giving her a small smile. "I heard about your training session with Vegeta." he told her as he shut the door behind him and walked over to her. Bra raised her hand and gave a smile in return as he dropped a senzu bean into it. "This'll make the healing much quicker and more bearable."

"I can handle it now." she rolled her eyes, but ate the bean anyway.

"Oh I know you can." he laughed, kneeling down beside the bath and folding his arms on the edge of it. Resting his head on his arms, Goten watched her for a moment. "Bra, this morning–"

"I didn't mean to get angry."

He gave her a warm smile. "No, it's not about that. I understand what you were telling me and I don't blame you, but you have to understand that I'm not letting you go up against Majin Buu alone." as Bra opened her mouth, about to argue, he quickly covered it with his hand, ignoring the glare she gave him. "We're going to be married soon, Bra. What kind of mate would I be if I let you face him alone? I promise I won't get involved with your revenge unless you truly need my help."

"I don't want you to get hurt." Bra mumbled into his hand before he removed it and gave her a sheepish smile, asking her to repeat herself. With a sigh, she did. "I don't want you to get hurt. Goten, Buu is_ my _enemy. He's not yours. He's _my _nightmare. Not yours."

Shaking his head at her, Goten sighed. "I've been looking after you all this time. Your nightmares, your enemies and your problems, are mine. Just like mine are yours. We're in this together. No matter what you say, Bra, I'm not letting you face him alone."

Closing her eyes, Bra nodded once and sighed.

"So…" at his awkward tone, she opened her eyes and looked up at Goten. "How long has Pan liked Trunks?"

"Too damn long." she groaned, slipping under water and soaking her hair before sitting up, wiping the water from her eyes. Accepting the shampoo from Goten, she once again looked at him, trying to ignore the heated look in his eyes as her breasts were revealed. Not because she was uncomfortable, though. It was because it was doing strange things to her insides. It was turning her on. "She's liked him for years now. Actually, I think Pan's liked him since we were all put on the same team."

The heated look vanished as shock took its place. "R–Really? That long?"

Bra nodded and massaged the shampoo into her hair. "Unfortunately."

"Why?"

He seemed genuinely confused. Not for the first time that day, Bra sighed. "She hasn't done anything about her feelings, has she?" Goten shook his head, frowning. "Ever since I found out about her feelings for Trunks, she's always complaining about feeling unworthy because she thinks that she's 'only a third class'." Bra rolled her eyes. "I tried telling her over and over again that it doesn't matter, that Trunks wouldn't care about that, but she never listened."

When Goten was strangely silent, Bra paused in washing out the shampoo and glanced up at him. There was a strange expression on his face and she didn't like it at all.

"Do you?" at her scowl, his eyebrows knitted together. "Do you care about classes and ranks?"

Her expression deadpanned.

And then she was dragging him into the bath with her by the collar of his under–armour.

"Are you kidding me?" she whispered against his lips, her legs parting so that he could lay between them. There was shock on his face as he held onto the sides of the bath to stop himself from crushing her, his eyes wide as he tried to ignore the feeling of Bra's naked body beneath him. "Goten, I don't care about stuff like that. I never have! So what if you're a third class? You're stronger than any other Saiyan! Well, except for the obvious few, but you're close to surpassing them!"

Seeing the uncertainty in his eyes and honestly having no other idea how to tell him, Bra captured his lips in a tender kiss and when they parted, her hand cupped his cheek gently (and wiped away the bubbles from her bath, because she really couldn't take him seriously when he had a foam beard). "Goten, none of my family care about the differences in classes and ranks. Yes, my dad goes on about your dad being a third class, but he doesn't mean anything by it! It's like when he calls Kakarot a clown. Seriously, Goten. None of us care. Pan is more than worthy to be my brother's mate, just like you're more than worthy to be mine."

His forehead pressed to hers and his eyes closed. "Good, because there's no one else I want to be with. I can only see you, Bra. Nobody else matters."

It had been that way for a long time. Ever since Goten started falling in love with Bra, he hadn't been able to see other girls. Sure, he could see them, but their faces didn't matter to him. He didn't notice if they were beautiful or curvy or anything of the sort! All he saw was Bra. And she was all he wanted to see.

"Good," Bra smirked, her lips ghosting over his, "because if there was anyone else, I'd have to show them that you're mine."

Goten tried not to focus on the real, darker meaning behind her words as he instead kissed her deeply.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Fluff, fluff, fluff. Well, the ending part anyways! How do you feel about Broly being brought into this?**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	21. No, You Can't!

**Chapter 2****1 ****– No, You Can't!**

Being engaged was… different.

People stopped her as she walked by to congratulate her, to wish her the best. Others asked for details on the wedding and even though Bra could tell they were trying their best not to show their shock when she told them it was strictly private, she could still see it. But she didn't care. This wedding was hers and Goten's. Sure, their families were both going to be there, but other than them and the priest who would be marrying them, that was all.

Marron had stormed over to see her at one point in the past couple of days, demanding to know why she and her family hadn't been invited. Bra felt a little guilty about not inviting them, but had simply shrugged, telling her exactly the same as she told the others. It was extremely private. Besides, Krillin and 18 were her mother's friends. Not hers. If Goten wanted them to be there, all he had to do was ask. It was as much his wedding as it was hers. However Goten didn't care about fancy weddings or about celebrity status' and whatnot. He wanted to marry her. He wanted to make her officially his. He wanted to wake up every morning to see her laying next to him.

It had been almost a whole month since he had proposed to her.

And they had a problem.

Well, Bra had a problem.

During their time together, they had made love several times. Only, they had never used contraception. At the time, Bra had completely forgotten about it, about the talk her mother had once sat her down to have. Oh God she felt like such an idiot!

Her period was late. Bra had never been late or missed a period since she first started. She always started at the end of every month and it was always for five days. No more, no less.

Damn it!

She wasn't ready to be a mother!

Running a hand through her hair, Bra looked around the lab with wide eyes. She was waiting for her mother's arrival. Not even five minutes ago, she had contacted her and told her that there was an emergency, that she had to meet her right here, right now.

By the time Bulma arrived, Bra looked close to a breakdown.

"Bra?" she asked warily, shutting the door behind her as she stepped forward. Due to being connected, she could feel her daughter's emotions, as could Trunks. No doubt he would be making his way over to them soon if Bulma didn't manage to calm her down. "What's wrong? You said it was an emergency."

"It is!" Bra yelled but immediately lowered her voice, her eyes showing her panic as she turned to her mother. "I think I'm pregnant."

All Bulma could do was stare.

She wished more than anything that Bra had given her some warning because, unfortunately for her, Vegeta had heard _every single word_.

And he was _so not happy_.

"Pregnant?" Bulma's voice was breathless, like somebody had gone and punched her in the stomach. "Are you sure?"

"I've never missed a period before!"

"Okay, okay! Just try to calm down." Bulma told her seriously, snapping out of her shock as she moved around the lab. "It'll be too soon to actually see anything unless you pee on one of those sticks," her nose scrunched up slightly, like the thought disgusted her for some reason, "but since we're in my lab and going out and actually buying a pregnancy test will cause a stir, we can use one of the machines here. Not only will it tell us if you're pregnant, but it will also check to see if the fetus is healthy, if it is compatible with your body." she paused for a moment, pinning Bra with a serious look. "Bra, not all women are able to carry their children and because of how long it took me to get pregnant, I want to check you out myself, okay?"

Slowly, Bra nodded. "But… I don't think I'm ready to be a mom."

Bulma felt her heart shattering at the look on her daughter's face.

And her head felt like it was throbbing with Vegeta's growing anger as he listened to their conversation.

* * *

><p>After many blood tests and examinations, Bra sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers drumming a rhythm against the firm mattress. She had never particularly liked hospital beds, or even the ones in medicals rooms on ships, because they were always uncomfortable. If they weren't lumpy, then they were too thin and if they weren't too thin, they were too firm. Oh and don't even get her started on the scratchy blankets and too–soft pillows. What she preferred were soft blankets, firm pillows and a mattress that you could sink into. Memory foam, she was certain it was called.<p>

Her head snapped up as Bulma once again entered the room, her expression professional and serious. Behind her was Vegeta, who had pretty much burst Bra's eardrums the moment he arrived, calling her foolish and stupid and reckless. Bra rolled her eyes. For a man who didn't show emotion that often, he certainly had a mouth on him. She couldn't blame him for being angry, though, because Bra was angry with herself.

Now, as Bulma walked over to Bra and Vegeta leaned against the wall, his eyes narrowed and deadly and his fists clenched tightly as he folded his arms over his chest, Bra could swear that her heart was going to shoot right out of her chest.

Why was she so nervous? Why was she sweating? Why was her heart racing? And what was that fluttery feeling in her stomach?

Looking down at her stomach, she scowled. Now that she had had time to think about it somewhat calmly, Bra couldn't deny that being a mother didn't sound all too bad. So what if she was only sixteen? So what if she wasn't married yet? But then again… she was a princess. What sort of princess went around doing things like that?

If she was pregnant, then Bra knew for a fact that she would keep the baby. She couldn't abort it. It was something she and Goten had created together. It would take a while to get her head around it and she wasn't even sure what she would tell Goten or how she would tell him, but it surely wouldn't be that bad, right? To be honest, Bra thought that Goten would be a great father! He was a big kid himself. They could train their child to be strong, to be tough and how to protect his or her loved ones. They could love–

"Bra," Bulma said softly, "you're not pregnant."

She was silent.

Why did her heart feel strange, like it was being squeezed? She hadn't even wanted the child!

So why did it feel like she wanted to cry?

"I guess…" Bra frowned, looking down at her legs, "I mean, I'm too young to have a kid right now, but I could always have one when I'm–"

Bulma cut her off, tears filling her eyes. "Bra, I'm so sorry, but you can't!" Her eyes snapped to her mother's, her eyebrows knitting together uncertainly and out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father tense, saw his eyes widen. "You… You're… Bra… You're infertile. I–I'm so sorry. I did the tests so many times! I…"

She could no longer hear her mother as she continued with her explanation, as she continued to go on and on about how she had done everything she could to try and make the stupid results come back saying that she was fertile. For some strange reason, Bra felt numb as she slowly stood up. She was aware of her parents watching her warily as she walked over to the door, as she left the room. Bra ignored Bulma as she called after her. She just… She didn't want to talk to anyone right now.

No, there was something she needed to do.

Unlike every other time when she had walked by, nobody stopped her this time. They seemed to be able to see the dead look in her eyes, how her movements were all sluggish instead of graceful.

When she found Goten, he was sparring with Trunks, but Bra couldn't even see her brother. All she could see was Goten as he stopped, as he turned to face her with a large grin that slipped away at the look on her face. And when she was in front of him, looking up at him, his frown only deepened.

"Bra–"

"I'm calling off the wedding."

Trunks's eyes widened as he looked between Bra, who honestly looked as though she wasn't in the right state of mind, to Goten, who seemed too shocked to even move.

"No." Goten snapped, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "Don't you dare shut me out, Bra."

She simply shook her head. "I'm a dead end."

Once again, shock was written all over their faces. "What?"

Bra shoved him backwards, tears filling her eyes, but it was like she couldn't stop herself. "You can't be with me!" she screamed at him as she continued to shove him. "I can't give you what a woman should be able to!" by now, her tears were falling. "Don't you get it?" her voice was louder now, if that was even possible. "I can't have kids! I can't… I can't…" and then she was falling to the ground, shaking and crying and _wailing_. "I can't… I can't give you a family! I can never have children. I don't… You should be with somebody who can give you all that."

"I don't care." Goten snapped at her as he dropped down beside her, only vaguely aware of Trunks leaving them so that they could speak in private. Moving forward, he went to wrap his arms around her. "Bra, I–"

"No!" she sobbed, once again shoving him away. "_No_!_ Don't touch me_!"

Ignoring her thrashing, Goten held her as she cried, as he allowed her to scream obscenities at him, to hit him and _wail_.

Even after everything that had happened to her, he was certain that he had never seen her in so much emotional pain before. This wasn't like the time when she was brought back from being tortured by Majin Buu. Back then, she had been silently suffering and not allowing anybody to witness her suffering until it finally became too much for her. Now, it was like she couldn't hold it back. It was like she was being overwhelmed by the emotions that were slamming into her.

"I love you." he whispered into her hair. "I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever."

"But I c–can't…" she hiccuped, her body trembling in his arms. "I can't give you babies."

"We'll find a way. Your mom's a genius, right? And so is Trunks! They'll somehow find a way." Goten wasn't sure if it was even possible but he had to do something, say something, to ease her pain. "Don't call off the wedding. Don't leave me. I don't want to be with anyone other than you."

Sitting up, Bra looked into Goten's eyes, her own bloodshot and filling with even more tears as her lower lip trembled. "I thought that I was pregnant." she told him, her body trembling softly as she held back a sob. "I… I w–wanted to be… I want to be a mom."

Goten couldn't stop his own tears as he once again held her in his arms.


	22. The Mind Battle

**Chapter 22 – The Mind Battle**

She did everything she could to take her mind off of what she had learned.

Bra trained almost every hour of every day now and when she wasn't training, she was passed out from pushing herself too hard. Her mother had tried talking to her, tried getting her to open up, but Bra ignored her.

It was strange. Bra would never have given having children a second thought before, but now that she knew she couldn't have them… It was painful to even think about it. Images of a happy family tortured her mind, showing her what she could never have. It would be like somebody was shoving a white hot branding iron right through her heart when she noticed families together, when she saw new mothers holding their babies.

And she was so, so jealous of them.

Never before had Bra ever been jealous. Why would she be? She was beautiful and powerful and had always gotten what she wanted. She was a daddy's girl. Even though he tried to hide it behind harsh tones and cold glares, Vegeta spoiled her rotten. And now, Bra had the man she loved and they were going to be getting married.

After telling Goten the news, Bra had refused to talk about her infertility at all. If somebody brought it up to her, she would simply ignore them. Thankfully, her father wasn't the type to speak about such sentimental subjects and nobody other than the royal family and possibly Goten's family, knew about it. Yes, her mother tried speaking to her and a couple of times, so had Trunks, but Bra acted like nobody had said a word. It was too hard to talk about.

Part of Bra wondered if it was probably a good thing that she couldn't have children. After everything she had been put through, would she even be able to care for a child? Bringing one up meant you had to be patient and loving and tender… Bra was no longer those things. With Goten, sometimes, yes. But with little kids that demanded all of your attention?

That didn't ease the pain, though. No matter how many times Bra went over why having a child would be a bad thing for her, it did not ease the pain.

Shoving those certain thoughts away, Bra made her way down to the training grounds. It was nice being outdoors on a day like today. The sun was glaring down on them all, but it was nothing compared to the heat on Vegeta–sei. Unlike on Vegeta–sei due to it being a desert planet, however, Earth was filled with green grass and trees and flowers. Bra used to love coming to Earth during the summertime. Usually they all went to the beach for family days out (including Krillin, 18 and Marron). Vegeta would growl at Bulma and Bra to put some clothes on, they would be laughing and teasing him. Trunks would be playing a beach game with the other guys and they would just all be happy. Especially when Krillin got the barbecue going. Bra was certain that Kakarot would kiss him whenever that happened.

Glancing up at the cloudless blue sky, her eyes narrowed a fraction. Not only had Bra refused to talk about her infertility with anyone, but she had also been avoiding Goten. Not completely, of course. Intimately. She had been refusing to make love to him and whenever he would kiss her, she would tense up. It reminded her of back when Goten had slowly been helping her get over her fear of intimacy, of allowing somebody to see her with her guards down. Now, whenever Goten touched her, she would be reminded of what she could never give him and Bra felt so incredibly guilty for that. Goten would have made a great father and she had taken that away from him.

"Are you ready?"

Her eyes slowly swept away from the sky and over to her brother. For a moment, Bra was silent. The walk seemed to have been much shorter than she remembered. Back when they were children, she and Trunks would always come down to these training grounds together. They weren't like the ones in the palace. These ones were outdoors, they were in fields that were filled with life and they had always made her feel so content.

It wasn't working right now.

She didn't feel a thing.

"Yeah." she replied, walking further into the clearing and falling into a defensive stance. "I'm ready."

Trunks's eyes saddened at the sight of his sister and he tried his best to hide his pain, but he knew that she could see it. There was a flash of something in her eyes suddenly, but it was gone much too quickly for him to find out what it was. From their connection between their minds, however, Trunks was guessing that it was anger. Of course it was. Like their father, Bra hated being pitied. It was why he instantly shut away his emotions.

And the moment he did, the fight began.

* * *

><p>"Master Babidi." a common soldier spoke as he knelt before his master. "We have located the girl."<p>

"Is that so?" a nasally voice said as he raised his hands to his crystal ball.

A few seconds later, a clear picture of Princess Bra and her brother, Prince Trunks showed. Not only them, but it was a sort of split screen between them and her parents. She was sparring against her brother whilst her parents sparred with each other, though Bra appeared to be the most vicious. They were all training and preparing for Majin Buu. Babidi laughed. He couldn't believe that they thought they could actually stand a chance against Buu! He was Babidi's ultimate weapon of destruction; nobody survives when Buu decides to kill them. The King of the Saiyan and Human Empire caught Babidi's eye as he went on the offensive against his mate.

Babidi knew all about the Super Saiyan transformation. Honestly, Babidi would rather have taken control of the king's mind but it was easier said than done. He was too proud, stubborn and devious to trust and it didn't help that he also had a mate who seemed to be able to keep him grounded and calm. He had also heard about Queen Bulma's mind technique. It was almost as powerful as his own, so Babidi knew he had to be wary of her. It was why he had waited for Princess Bra to be separated from the queen. It would take the older woman at least ten minutes to get to her daughter and by that time, it would be much too late.

"Very well," Babidi nodded as he zoomed in on his view of the girl. "Have you heard anything from Majin Buu?"

"Yes Master, he is on his way back to headquarters as we speak."

Babidi nodded thoughtfully as he looked in on Bra's heart. "Yes, thanks to Buu this girl's heart is no longer pure and her mind is no longer stable. She will be perfect to have on our side."

"Yes, Master Babidi."

"You may go."

"Thank you, Master Babidi."

* * *

><p>Bra winced as she felt a stabbing pain in the back of her head. It was annoying, but easily ignored.<p>

Noticing an opening, she shot forward, her foot smashing into Trunks's stomach before she was whirling around and using the same foot to kick the side of his head. However, at the last second, he raised his arms and absorbed as much of her strength as he could with them.

By now, after over two hours of sparring against each other, they were both panting, both sweating. There were cuts and bruises forming and littering their skin, though Trunks's body was a little bit bloodier than Bra's. Unlike him, she fought with whatever she could use. She fought dirty. Bra used dirt to blind him, used her nails to cut him. Hell, at one point, even her teeth had been involved! At the reminder of where she had bitten him, Trunks glanced down at his hand and frowned. Thanks to his Saiyan heritage, it was already half–healed, but it still hurt! She had made him bleed!

"Why the hell did you bite me?"

Bra rolled her eyes and once again fell into a fighting stance. "It got you to let go of me, didn't it?"

Trunks's eyes narrowed, but just as he was about to say something, he felt a shift in her mind. It was like she was pushing him out. It didn't seem like Bulma had noticed, but considering the fact that she was sparring with Vegeta, that wasn't too surprising. Many thought that because of her being his mate, Vegeta took it easy on Bulma. No. If anything, he pushed her way beyond her limits. He pushed her so hard to make her stronger.

"Stop being such a baby and fight me!" she spat, shooting forward once more.

There was a faint twitch in her left eyebrow, Trunks noticed as he quickly caught her wrists and pulled her forward, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Bra–"

"Fight me, you coward!" Bra yelled at him, thrashing against his hold. "What's the matter, _Princess _Trunks? Are you too scared to fight?"

"Stop it!" Trunks warned her and tightened his hold and noticing the urgency in his voice, the serious look in his eyes, Bra stilled, though her anger was still obvious. "Are you pushing me out? Is that you who is trying to tear down the walls mother and I put up?"

Bra's eyes widened. "Why the hell would I do that?" she screamed at him, her thrashing increasing with her panic. "I don't want to be that way again! I don't want to be a mindless fucking zombie!"

He had to refrain from yelling at her that that was exactly how she had been acting since the news of her infertility. Not only because it would hurt her, but also because it would make her angry and then Bra would definitely shut him out. "Stay still." he ordered and immediately, she did so. "I'm going to look into your mind. If there's anything you don't want me to see, put walls up now. Are you ready?"

She nodded once, her eyes narrowing as Trunks closed his eyes.

And then they snapped open a second later.

"Babidi." he growled lowly and before Bra could even react, Trunks was throwing her to the ground, pinning her down and flaring his energy three times, capturing the attention of his friends and family. "Bra, concentrate on me, okay? I don't mean out here, I mean in your head. Babidi is trying to control you. Can you feel any pain at all?"

The panic and fear in her eyes was becoming more obvious by the second as she trembled. "Y–Yeah… But I… I thought it was only a headache!"

Trunks's jaw clenched as he focused hard on her mind. That slimy bastard was already in her thoughts. "How long?"

"About an hour."

"Why didn't you tell me?" even though his voice was low, the fact that it was a growl told Bra that he was pissed. She didn't answer him. "Damn it!"

Her lower lip trembled for a moment and in that split second there was a flash in her eyes and Trunks saw his little sister. He saw the girl she used to be. The one who smiled all the time, the one who enjoyed to tease him and laugh at him. In that split second, Bra was vulnerable. She was four years old again and she was terrified of a thunderstorm, running into his bedroom and clinging to him tightly. She was telling him about not liking the loud booming sound, about how the flashes made her room look scary.

And in that split second, Trunks saw red.

His eyes shut once more as he placed his hand on his sister's forehead, as he used the other to keep her pinned to the ground. Bra tried her best to ignore the pain as she clawed at the ground, but as Babidi began to invade her mind further and Trunks battled for control, the pain became agonizing and she tried desperately to get away from it.

"Trunks…" she whimpered, tears falling her eyes as her hand swung through the air, gripping his arm tightly. "It hurts!"

"I know." Trunks was growling again, no matter how hard he tried to stay calm for her sake. "I know. I'm sorry, but it's only going to get worse. I'm trying my best!"

Only going to get worse? Bra's blood ran cold.

And just like he had told her, it did get worse.

It got a hell of a lot fucking worse.

It felt like somebody had set fire to her head and the hand that was still clawing at the ground shot up to her head, the other still holding onto Trunks's arm tightly. He was only vaguely aware of the stinging pain of her nails digging into his skin and drawing blood, of the bruising hold she had on him. He didn't care about any of that. Bra could break his arm if it made her feel better.

Damn it! Trunks ignored the blood dripping from his nose and over his lips and chin as his own head began to ache. He needed Bulma. Even though he was skilled, her powerful mind was way beyond his own. She had had years to develop her skill, to morph it into something that made her extremely dangerous. When people heard Bulma's name, they trembled with fear. She could kill you without you even knowing.

Like the Gods were on his side, his parents suddenly appeared and behind them were the others. They were all staring with wide eyes at the sight before them. Bra was being pinned to the ground, screaming and sobbing with pain as Trunks held her down, sitting at the side of her and trying to keep her quiet.

"Trunks–"

"Mother!" he snapped, cutting Goten off. "I need your help! Babidi is trying to control her!" Everyone's eyes widened. "He's taking advantage of what happened to her. It was all a trap. He sent Buu to torture her. According to him, Bra no longer has a pure heart and she's too unstable to fight back. _Hurry_!"

Bulma was by her side in a second, pushing away Trunks's hand and ignoring him as he asked her what the hell she was doing. Instead, she pulled Bra's head onto her lap and placed her hands on each side of her head. "Hold her down!"

He did as his mother told him, pinning Bra's right side to the ground as Goten got her legs and Vegeta got her left side. The others stayed near the back, careful not to crowd around them.

"Get out of my daughter's head you bastard!" Bulma muttered, her energy surrounding her and making her hair whip around her face as she focused completely on Bra's mind.

Even Vegeta was astounded by the amount of power in her mind. It was surreal. The air around them was suddenly hot and made their skin tingle.

But Bra wasn't in awe. No, she was in excruciating pain. Forget what Trunks had just been like whilst battling against Babidi. This was…

She writhed beneath them, her screams increasing until they were all certain that she had shattered their eardrums. In response to her agonizing cries of pain, Pan phased to her side next to Trunks, attempting to help hold her still.

"Come on, B!" she begged, not able to stop her tears as she pinned her waist to the ground. "Fight him!"

Her mind felt so weak…

'_I can give you what you want_.' a nasally voice drifted through her mind. '_You want to be stronger. You want revenge for what Majin Buu did to you. He disobeyed me, Princess Bra. I told him not to touch you. I warned him that we only needed to seek our revenge on your parents for what they did to my father! I never told Buu to attack you. With my power, you can defeat him. I need your help with defeating Majin Buu. He is too powerful for me to control now._'

The offer sounded so tempting…

'_Don't you dare listen to him, Bra!'_ another voice shot through her mind and in response to how loud her voice was, Bra once again began to thrash, desperately trying to claw at her head but the moment she tried to rid herself of the pain, hands were grabbing her arms and pinning them down. People were speaking to her on the outside, but Bra couldn't hear them. '_Babidi is lying to you. He's trying to manipulate you! This has been his plan all along. Trunks got a look into his mind whilst he was too busy trying to control yours. Babidi ordered Majin Buu to do those awful, unforgivable things to you_. _Don't trust him! He's going to use you to destroy our empire from the inside! Think of all those innocent people who will die, Bra. If you can't fight for yourself, fight for them! Fight for your people and your loved ones. Fight for us! For Goten!_'

Her anger was growing, but Bra still felt so weak. How could she win against such power?

'_Remember who you are!'_ Trunks yelled into her mind when he saw that even with all her power, Bulma was struggling.

Remember who she was? Didn't he mean remember what broken pieces were left of her old self?

It felt like darkness was surrounding her and she could see, smell and feel nothing. All she could do was hear and cry. Her mind self appeared to be a child, around ten years old. That version of herself was currently sitting on the ground with her knees pressed up against her chest, her arms wrapping around them as she sobbed. She instantly knew what memory this was. It was of the time Trunks had gone out with his friends and told her that she couldn't join him. She had cried, begged and screamed at him to take her with him, but he left. She had never felt so alone before. Her mother had been busy. Trunks had gone out. None of her friends were around. It had been only her and her father and at the time, he had been more concerned about training. Well, until he found her in that state, he was.

'_Bra_,' this voice was much deeper, sounding more like a growl and she knew immediately that it was her father. He was using his bond with Bulma to speak to her. '_Do not allow him to control you. You are a Saiyan warrior. You are the Princess of all Saiyans! We are a proud race. Majin Buu may have taken your innocence, he may have taken your ability to trust others. But no matter what he has taken from you, he can never take your pride!'_

And then Bra felt power flooding through her. It wasn't her own. It was her father's. It was her mother's. It was Trunks's. Everybody. They were all lending her their power to shove him out.

"Don't you dare let him win." Vegeta muttered to her.

Through all the panting, all the crying and the clawing, Bra managed to spit out, "I won't."

It was a long battle between minds and at one point, Trunks got so weak that Gohan had to hold him up. But no matter how much it hurt, no matter how weak he felt, he didn't give up. He continued fighting for his little sister. It was only ten minutes later that Bulma began showing the signs of fatigue. Even with her powerful mind gift, she began weakening, her nose started bleeding and her head throbbed with pain. Like Trunks, though, she fought on. She shoved the pain from her mind.

She had told Babidi already, but she would tell him again. '_Get out of my daughter's head!'_

With one last burst of energy, Bulma squinted and a barely audible cry of pain slipped through her gritted teeth, one of her hands twitching to move up to her head to grab it. It was like no headache she had ever had before. Not even her inner–self had caused this much pain!

However, the moment they managed to get Bra to fight back, it became easier until eventually, they won.

The moment she was certain it was over, Bulma slumped forward, her eyes heavy and Vegeta only just managed to catch her before she landed on Bra. It was no different with Trunks as Gohan had to hold up all of his weight.

"Bulma and Trunks need medical attention." Tarble told them urgently. "_Immediately_!"

Gohan and Vegeta tightened their holds on Trunks and Bulma, but just as he stood up and was about to blast off in the direction of the hospital, Vegeta's eyes landed on Bra's face. Her eyes were closed and her features were relaxed, making her appear much younger and more vulnerable as Goten shifted position, gently placing her head on his lap as he brushed her damp hair away from her sweaty forehead.

Noticing the look, Goten locked eyes with Vegeta's and the latter wondered if his expression was any different from the boy's. Did he look just as worried and scared? Did he have that same flicker of relief flitting through his eyes?

"I promise I'll look after her."

It was the genuine look in Goten's eyes that made up his mind. The brat would not allow any harm to come to Bra. Nodding once, Vegeta blasted off after Gohan and Trunks holding a now unconscious Bulma tightly in his arms.


	23. Do What You Want

**Chapter 23 – Do What You Want**

She felt like her head had been fucked by a chainsaw.

It was crude of her to say or think such things, but that didn't change the fact that that was how she currently felt. Bra couldn't even sit up in bed! Whatever the hell her mother, Trunks and Babidi had done to her, it had seriously weakened her. Despite that, Bra found that she wasn't angry with them. Well, not with her family. She was pissed with Babidi and kept imagining herself brutally murdering him over and over again. As for Trunks and her mother, they had done everything they possibly could to stop Babidi from turning her into a slave.

How could she ever repay them for that?

"Hey." a voice spoke from beside her and even though Bra didn't dare open her eyes, she did so anyway so that she could look at Goten. He was sat in a chair beside her hospital bed and had a worried look in his eyes, smiling softly at her as he held her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like somebody is jumping on my head." she whispered in return because, whilst her eyes were open, she was squinting and Bra feared that if she spoke any louder, the pain would increase.

Noticing this, Goten kept his voice just as quiet. "Your mom said that the pain should pass shortly."

"How are they?" Bra asked, her eyes slowly opening more fully so that she could look at him properly. "Trunks… and my mom? They're okay, right?"

"They'll be fine." he told her with a smile. "Apparently your mom's had headaches like this one before. The doctor said they just need to rest. Like you need to rest."

She wanted to argue with him, to tell Goten that she didn't need rest and that she was ready to go and find Babidi, to rip the freak to shreds, but she knew that she couldn't. He was right. She wasn't well enough yet. Also, since Babidi had managed to sneak into her mind without her even noticing, it occurred to Bra just how fragile her mind really was. If she hoped to stand any chance in defeating Majin Buu and Babidi, she needed Trunks and Bulma there. She needed her father there. She needed Goten there. It was their power that helped her fight Babidi.

And it pissed her off so, _so very much_.

What the hell had she been training for if she couldn't even control her own mind? What sort of warrior was she?

"Don't." Goten whispered to her as he shifted closer and gently eased himself onto her hospital bed, careful not to jostle it and cause her any more pain. "I can tell what you're doing to yourself, Bra, and I want you to stop it." Once settled down, he slowly pulled her to him, watching her features carefully in case he hurt her. "There's nothing wrong with receiving help from those who love you. It's what makes us stronger."

Did he honestly believe that?

"You can't call it your own strength if people are giving it to you."

"No," he agreed, "but haven't you learned anything from what happened? Don't you feel any different?"

She bit her lip, nodding softly. "I want to protect my pack and you, now more than ever."

Goten couldn't help but smile. "And that's what will make you stronger. Your need to protect those you love, just like wanting to protect _you _stopped your mom and Trunks from giving in to the pain they were feeling."

No more pain. Bra was so tired of being hurt, of those she loved being hurt. Even if it cost her life, she was going to defeat Majin Buu and his master, Babidi. Not because she needed revenge (although that tempting idea was still swimming around in her head), but because she didn't want her pack, or anybody else, to have to go through what she was because of those bastards.

They were destroying her life. They were picking her apart and leaving her to feel weak and pathetic and utterly helpless.

No more.

She was going to put a stop to them once and for all.

* * *

><p>"You're awake!"<p>

Trunks winced at the voice, silently wishing Pan would lower not only the volume of her voice, but also the pitch. His head was throbbing. In a way it kind of felt like a hangover, only much, much more agonizing. Just the simple task of attempting to sit up was making him feel as though he wanted to throw up whatever was left in his stomach. He was impossibly dizzy and after a couple of tries, Trunks decided it was simply best to continue laying down in his hospital bed and try not to focus on the fact his world was spinning.

With a hesitant smile, Pan filled a plastic cup with water and brought it closer to him, gently nudging Trunks's lips with a straw. He obeyed her silent order without a word and drank from the cup greedily, enjoying the cool water as it ran down his throat, soothing it of its dryness.

"How long have I been out?" he asked once she pulled the straw from his mouth.

"About a week." Pan answered quietly, making more of an effort to keep her voice low. She hadn't failed to notice his wince when she had previously spoken. Actually, there wasn't much about Trunks that she didn't notice. "Your mom woke up a day after the attack and when your dad came by to check on your earlier, he said Bra woke up today, too."

He could already tell that his sister was awake. Not because he was connected to her via minds (that certainly helped in confirming his thoughts, however) but because he simply knew. It sounded strange, but Trunks could feel that she was okay. They'd always been close, but it wasn't until Majin Buu attacked Bra that he grew so much more protective of his little sister. No matter what, he had to keep her safe.

Glancing up at Pan, Trunks watched her for a moment as she fussed over him.

"Why are you here?"

Pan's head snapped up as her eyes met his, widening at his question. "I didn't want you to wake up alone." she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Would you rather I go and find Marron?"

Marron?

"What does she have to do with any of this?" Trunks frowned in confusion.

First, Bra was accusing him of being in love with the blonde and now, Pan was asking him if he would prefer to have said blonde there instead of her? Had he somehow sent out signals that told people he liked Marron? He hoped not, because he didn't. Well, not in the romantic way, at least. She was cool and everything, but Bra had been right the other week. Marron was no warrior and she would never be accepted as his mate, especially since, one day, he would become king. But that wasn't the only reason why he didn't love her. It was because he just… didn't. There were no romantic feelings between them.

"Because you're in love with her." this time, Pan was the one frowning in confusion. "You said so yourself! At Bra and Goten's engagement dinner. You said you liked a girl who was here at _this_ palace! Since her parents are your mom's advisers, they all live here in _this palace_."

Oh. Well, when she put it like that, Trunks could understand why they all thought he liked Marron. But that didn't take away his annoyance. "I never said anything about being in love with Marron, Pan. Besides, she likes another warrior."

"Y–You don't…" her frown deepened. "Then who do you like?"

"I can't focus on things like that right now." Trunks mumbled, staring up at the ceiling instead of Pan's expression. "My sister needs me, Pan. So does my pack and our empire. Maybe one day we can be together, but not now."

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

And then a third time.

Slowly, Trunks's blue eyes slid over to her expression, hiding his smirk as her cheeks burned red and her eyes widened. He could hear her heart pounding away much faster and harder than usual in her chest and part of him wondered if Pan was even breathing.

"We… As in… As in _us_?" her voice was slightly higher than usual and it became obvious that she was trying to fight down her excitement and hope.

He nodded once. "If you can handle being my queen, that is."

At the smirk that was practically screaming that he was challenging her, Pan grinned impishly. "I can handle _anything_, Trunks." however, a second later, her grin slipped away. "I get what you mean by wanting to protect Bra, but can't we just–"

"I can't be distracted, Pan." Trunks told her softly, his eyebrows furrowing at the saddened look settling on her features. "Bra needs me. She may not want to admit it, but she does. And I can't let her down. Not again."

"You didn't let her down!" Pan argued as she sat on the edge of his bed, glaring down at him. "And if you did, then that means we _all _let her down. You weren't the only one on that planet, Trunks! I was there too and so was Goten and Retasu. Are you saying it was our fault, too? Are you saying that we failed Bra as well?" Trunks looked shocked by her sudden anger, but Pan ignored him. She had to make his guilt go away! She had to make the pain he was feeling go away! "Last week, you said Babidi and Majin Buu had been targeting Bra right from the start. If they hadn't attacked her back on Spelpicarn, who's to say that they wouldn't have attacked her after? You can't blame yourself for what happened, Trunks. I know for a fact that Bra wouldn't appreciate it."

Just as she opened her mouth to say more, a startled squeak escaped her as a strong hand grabbed the collar of her shirt, roughly yanking her down until a pair of thin, firm lips captured her own.

* * *

><p>"Trunks is awake, woman."<p>

Bulma looked over at Vegeta and smiled happily. "I know."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Of course she already knew. Shutting the door behind him, he made his way over to their bed. Unlike their children, Bulma was staying in their quarters instead of at the hospital. For some reason she had never liked staying in the hospital but Vegeta never questioned her. If she was more comfortable in her quarters than at the hospital, then his queen was staying in their quarters.

"Have the public been told why we're all in hospital? Well, why our children our in hospital."

Laying back on the bed, Vegeta glared up at the ceiling. "It is none of their business." Bulma opened her mouth, about to argue that it _is_ their peoples' business as to why their royals were in hospital, but he cut her off. "Tarble has been spreading around some pathetic excuse to make them all shut up."

She smiled at that. If anybody could ease a person's worry, then it was Tarble. He was just so calm and peaceful that he _made_ people feel comforted by just his presence.

"The clown's father will be arriving soon." Vegeta grunted, his glare intensifying. "Something about wanting to watch his grandson bond with our daughter."

Bulma's smile grew. That was so sweet! Not to mention that somebody had to escort the Saiyan priest as they weren't supposed to travel alone just in case they were attacked. The priests, unlike other Saiyans, did not fight. They were pacifists, so they had to be protected. That didn't mean that they weren't strong, they just didn't like causing harm.

Glancing down at her husband, she frowned, her smile slipping away. He had been in a foul mood ever since she woke up and according to Chi–Chi, he had been in one since the attack. That didn't surprise her. Usually Vegeta settled his problems by fighting it out, by getting violent, but last week, he hadn't been able to do so. All he could do, was give his daughter his energy and encouraging words, pushing her to fight for herself.

"Vegeta–"

"Don't."

"But–"

"Bulma, I said _leave it_."

"No!" she snapped, despite her headache. It wasn't as bad as it had been when she first woke up. Now it just felt like a throbbing sensation and it was easy to ignore due to her previous headaches as a teen. "You couldn't use your strength to save Bra, but so what? She's okay now, isn't she? I can feel her mind, Vegeta. She's doing better. No, she's not one hundred percent okay and she's still slightly unstable, but now she has a better reason than just revenge to destroy Babidi and Majin Buu. Don't you get it? We all did what we could. You may not have been able to use your strength this time, but when Majin Buu and Babidi attack again, you'll be by her side, fighting with her."

His upper lip curled. "And what makes you so sure that she'll have me there? This is _her_ revenge, not mine."

Growling with annoyance, she shook her head. "Because it wasn't until you got involved that Bra started truly fighting. Don't pretend like you didn't notice. It wasn't my words that made her fight harder to gain control and it wasn't Trunks's either. It was yours. Even though she's changed a lot because of what happened, she is still your daughter. Bra will always love you and a part of her will always be fighting for you, to make you proud. Remember that."

* * *

><p>It was a week later when Bardock arrived with the Saiyan priest and because it was their wedding, Bra and Goten had to be there to greet them both. She wasn't complaining. Now that her wedding was getting closer, Bra found that she was actually pretty excited for it. Every time he saw her, Goten would give her a large, loving smile and she would jokingly call him a nerd, to which he would laugh and grab her, leaning her backwards and leaving sloppy, wet kisses all over her face.<p>

She would never admit it to anyone (not even herself), but it was the reason why she continued to call him a nerd.

The weight that had been on her shoulders had lightened a little ever since she left the hospital and it only continued to lighten when she saw that Trunks and her mother were both truly okay. She had even allowed Bulma to hold her, which completely stunned the queen. Since Buu first attacked her, Bra had hated having anyone other than Goten touch her outside of a sparring match. That was still the case, but she had felt so incredibly grateful and couldn't think of any other way to thank her mother for all she did.

So instead they had stayed there for a while, Bulma holding her daughter like she had done many times as a child. Bra was laying in her arms, almost looking as though she was asleep whilst Bulma gently ran her hand through her hair, relaxing her further. At one point, Bra was certain that she had fallen asleep because not long after, she was in her bed and her father was leaving her bedroom, silently shutting the door behind him.

"Have you decided on your wedding dress?"

Looking up, Bra blinked a couple of times at the sight before her. Right at that moment in time, she, her mother, Chi–Chi, Pan and Videl were all sat in her mother's room. Not her bedroom (Vegeta disliked anybody other than himself and Bulma in there), but the living area. Despite being more comfortable around certain people (Goten's family), Bra still didn't like the thought of people in her quarters. So instead, they were here.

"Yeah." she informed them, sifting through the pictures for a moment before lifting one of them.

Her mother's eyes widened.

"You can't wear _that_!" Chi–Chi exclaimed. "It's not appropriate!"

Bra's eyes narrowed. "Why isn't it?"

"It's not even white, Bra." Bulma told her. Her voice wasn't as loud as Chi–Chi's, but it was just as serious. "The bride can't wear red."

"It's crimson."

This time, it was Bulma who narrowed her eyes. "Don't get smart with me, young lady. You can't wear a _crimson_ dress. You're a princess and even though the wedding is private, you are still royalty. You need to wear white."

"It's traditional." Chi–Chi added.

Dropping the picture onto the table, Bra sat back in her seat and looked away. "Whatever."

"Bra–"

"I'm bored." she stated and stood up, not even sparing them a glance as she began to walk away, waving them all off dismissively. "If you're so bothered about me looking perfect, then why don't _you_ choose the dress? You've decided on everything else already and it's not like my opinion matters."

With that, she slammed the door shut behind her, taking a deep, calming breath to try and control the urge to slam some skulls together.

* * *

><p>Ducking, Bra growled and just barely missed a punch to the face.<p>

"What's up?" Trunks asked as he caught Bra's leg and swung her around, launching her at the wall.

"Everything!" she spat, flipping and using the wall to push herself forward.

Goten frowned, but quickly jumped backwards to avoid a foot to his chest. No doubt it would have broken a couple of ribs. "Like what?"

"The wedding. My mom. _Your_ mom."

He stopped all movements abruptly, catching Bra's fists and holding her in place as Trunks dropped down beside them. "The wedding? What have they done?"

Bra's upper lip curled and her arms shook with the strain of trying to break Goten's hold, but he refused to let her go. "They won't let me decide on anything! It's like my opinion doesn't even matter. If I say one thing, your mother jumps in, screaming that it's 'not appropriate' and if it's not her, then it's my mother telling me that because I'm a princess, I _have_ to have the wedding _their_ way. The dress _has_ to be white. The jewellery _has_ to be sophisticated and mature. The food _has_ to be posh. I'm sick of it!"

"Don't listen to them." Trunks told her, walking forward and standing by his sister's side. "It's not up to any of them how you have _your_ wedding. If they're really getting out of hand with it, just go to dad."

She let out a loud, humourless laugh. "You think _dad_ will want to listen to me complaining about dresses and shoes and makeup?"

Trunks shrugged. "If it'll make you feel better, then yeah, maybe."

A laugh came from Goten as he pulled on her fists, yanking her into an embrace. "He's always spoiled you, Bra. You're his _baby girl_."

"What was that, brat?"

The tension that suddenly entered Goten's body had Bra fighting back a smirk. Oh her father just loved intimidating people! It was pretty funny, really. "Nothing, dad." Bra rolled her eyes and pulled out of Goten's hold, turning to face her father. It surprised her greatly how he was standing only a few feet away from Trunks, yet none of them had sensed or noticed him. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mother is bitching at me. Something about you storming out during a planning session."

"There's no point in me even being there."

His eyes narrowed and his arms unfolded from his chest, dropping to his sides. "Why not?"

"Nothing I say matters to them. If I say one thing, they'll all choose another. I got tired of it, dad, so I left. I told mom that since she's planned everything else, she can plan the entire wedding." her eyebrows furrowed and for some reason, she felt upset, but Bra couldn't understand why. "They won't even let me choose my own dress. I wanted it to be crimson, like your cape and your father's cape, but they won't let me. They keep saying it's not appropriate or proper or traditional for a princess to wear anything other than white."

Vegeta was stunned. His daughter wanted her wedding dress to be the same colour as his father's cape? As his own cape? It made his chest feel strangely warm.

"Your mother is nagging on about human royalty rules. Crimson, as you know, is the colour of royalty for Saiyans. If you want to wear crimson, you will. If your mother complains, tell her that you are just as much Saiyan as you are human." Vegeta gave her a smirk. "You've never let her push you around before about all this princess crap, so why start now? You are a Saiyan, girl. Show some pride in your heritage."

The two younger Saiyan males were stunned.

Bra grinned.

* * *

><p>Later that day, during dinner, Bra informed her mother that she <em>will<em> be wearing that dress. That she _will_ have the food she wanted.

And in response, Bulma smiled brightly and nodded once. "That's my daughter." when Bra looked confused, her smile widened. "You've never allowed anyone to control you. I'm glad to see that _that_ Bra is still in there."

You just had to know where to look to find her. Trunks had seen her before, as had Vegeta. Goten had seen her many times. And now, finally, Bulma was seeing her daughter again, too.

It was about damn time.

* * *

><p><strong>HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)<strong>


	24. No Matter What It Takes

**Chapter 24 – No Matter What It Takes**

Today was the day.

And for the first time in a long time, Bra was nervous.

She, the Princess of all Saiyans, was about to get married.

To silence her mother's nagging, Bra had allowed her to do her makeup and hair, even though it was pretty obvious she didn't like it. Well, the makeup was stunning and made her look beautiful, but Bra had wanted to do her own, so that nobody would have to be so close to her. Bulma took that into consideration, though, because she always kept a little bit of distance between them and was always gentle when touching her.

Her makeup wasn't anything too special. Goten had once told her that he liked her best when she was natural, when her face wasn't caked in makeup. So, she only had one layer of foundation on to even out her complexion, a small amount of powder over that just to make sure that her face wasn't shiny. Her eye shadow was minimal, yet it was obvious she was wearing some. It wasn't too dramatic though and only used to bring out her eye colour. It worked, because now her eyes seemed even bluer. As well as that, she had on a couple coats of mascara and crimson tinted lip gloss to match her dress.

Bra felt beautiful. For the first time since she was a child, she couldn't see any imperfections.

"Okay, stand up." Bulma ordered as she and Chi–Chi left to get the dress.

Like her mother, Chi–Chi had also insisted on helping out, but she seemed to understand whenever she noticed the barely noticeable cringe every time somebody got a little too close to Bra. It was because of this that she settled on doing the smaller things, such as making sure the bouquet was perfect, going over the jewellery and other things such as that. She didn't complain once.

When they returned, Bra smiled at them both. "Will you both help me into the dress?"

Just like she had thought, both of their faces brightened with large smiles.

It didn't take all that long to slip the dress on. No, it was the corset that took a couple of minutes to fasten. The two behind her kept fussing, asking her if it was too tight, or too loose. Then, either Chi–Chi or her mother would step to the front of her, eye her critically, before going behind her once more and adjusting it. Was all of this really necessary? In their minds, it was.

"I think it's great that you allowed Krillin, 18 and Marron to come to your wedding, Bra."

About a week or two ago, Goten had asked her if it would be all right to invite the small family, as they were kind of like an extension to his. Bra had rolled her eyes, saying that they were like that with hers, too, but yes, they could come. It vaguely annoyed her that she had to remind Goten that this was just as much his wedding as it was hers. _Again_!

Bra shrugged, repeating Goten's words. "They're family."

That was also why the rest of Raditz's family had come to Earth. So now, there would be twenty people attending the wedding. Twenty–four if you included the priests and the the bride and groom.

"They are." Chi–Chi agreed with a smile. "And they're really grateful that you invited them."

She tilted her head to the side, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at Chi–Chi. "18 is grateful?"

"Well, she didn't _show_ that she was grateful." Bulma smirked.

"Did you know 18 was a bridesmaid to your mother's first wedding?"

Bra's eyes widened. "Your _first_ wedding? You got married before dad? Who was he? Did dad kill him? I bet he killed him."

Rolling her eyes, Bulma gave Chi–Chi a blank look. "Way to word your sentence, Chi." she then turned back to Bra. "No, both weddings had been to your father, but the first was interrupted by Frieza's men. I'm sure you remember learning about him?" Bra nodded once. Like she could ever forget! Hearing that your mother had almost died was not nice. In fact, it was the reason behind Trunks unlocking the legendary. "He knew about our wedding – the whole universe did, actually. Before I even reached your father at the alter, his men tried to kill me. After that, you can guess what happened. The big battle, then a war, blah, blah, blah." Bulma rolled her eyes again before smiling. "Technically, I should have been dead, but I wasn't, so when I was healed, your father and I got married. However because your grandfather died in the war, it was also our coronation."

"Busy day, then." Bra mumbled sarcastically.

"It was." Bulma chuckled.

The bracelet that had been passed down to her sat on her arm, still as beautiful as ever. Bulma wanted nothing more than to pass it on to Bra, but it wasn't allowed. It had to go to the eldest child or – since Trunks was a man – his bride. Vegeta had realised this and when she was younger, he had handed her a necklace that had belonged to his mother. Sure it wasn't a family heirloom, but Bra had been extremely happy with it. In fact, she would be wearing it today.

"It's a shame you decided against having any bridesmaids." Bulma murmured as she shifted the dress this way and that, making sure that there were no creases.

Shrugging, Bra turned away and walked over to the jewellery. Growing up she had received lesson after lesson in etiquette, so knew not to raise her dress above her ankle and knew how to walk in heels. Of course that wasn't entirely what etiquette was all about, but whatever. Those were the main things that stuck with her.

"I didn't want anything too big. Goten agreed." she said with another shrug. "He said that he doesn't care about dressing up or about who's going to be there. Just as long as we get married, then he's happy."

"My son is such a romantic!" Chi–Chi sighed with a dreamy look in her eyes. "He clearly doesn't get that from his father, though."

Oh yeah. Goten was _such_ a romantic. Bra had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

Yes, he did sweet things for her and took care of her, but it wasn't out of romance. It was because Goten was a good person. He did that because he wanted to and didn't expect anything out of it in return. There were times when he lost his temper, but that was fine. Bra could handle that because it was her fault he lost his temper. He never struck her – the most he would do is yell. Never – and Bra meant _never_ – would Goten ever touch her unless she wanted to be touched. Outside of a sparring match, he never violently raised a hand to her.

Also, that jerk would eat all of the chocolate (_her chocolate_) and leave her with none!

"I've set everything up for your honeymoon." Bulma told Bra, exchanging a smirk with Chi–Chi.

Bra's eyes widened as she whirled around to face them, her dress dragging behind her slightly, a second slower than herself. "Honeymoon? I never planned a honeymoon! Does Goten know about this?"

"It was actually Goten's idea." the dark haired woman informed her, her smirk shifting to a large, proud smile. "But that's all you're allowed to know. The rest is a surprise!"

Goten was _so_ going to get it when she got a hold of him.

But Bra couldn't decide whether she wanted to kiss him, or strangle him.

* * *

><p>Vegeta's fingers tapped an impatient rhythm against his upper arm, his eyes narrowed and dangerous.<p>

Where the hell was his daughter and mate? They were late by over four and a half minutes! Did they think he enjoyed waiting around for them? Hell no! He would rather be training. But of course, the woman had nagged at him that he _had_ to walk Bra down the aisle. She was old enough to walk down it by herself, damn it. But _no_, they just _had_ to follow some stupid Earthling tradition. There wasn't a chance in hell that he was handing his daughter over to that third class brat. He may be marrying her, but that was all. Bra was _his_ daughter.

_Damn it_, Vegeta growled. Once again, his thoughts were turning territorial. What was the matter with him? For the past couple of months, he had been pretty laid back about the whole thing, but now? It was like it was finally hitting him. His only daughter was getting married. His daughter who was still only sixteen years old. Of course, that didn't matter to Saiyans. Bulma had only been sixteen years old the first time around, after all. He had been seventeen.

But that didn't take away the burning in his gut whenever he thought about it. To humans, when getting married, it was traditional for the father of the bride to walk her down the aisle, handing her over to her husband–to–be. Vegeta didn't like it. He didn't want to hand her over. Yes, he ware aware of the fact he could trust Goten to protect Bra, but…

Damn it.

Hearing footsteps, Vegeta turned around, his mouth opening to yell at them for taking so long.

All words died. They wouldn't form.

His daughter was just as beautiful as her mother.

_And damn it he didn't want to give her away!_

Bulma sent him an understanding smile, but there was obvious pride in her eyes. There was even a moment when she looked close to tears. By her side, Chi–Chi smiled down at Bra before going into the hall where the guests were waiting along with Goten. Bulma stayed behind for a couple of minutes.

"Are you nervous?" she asked Bra softly, adjusting a piece of hair so that it fell _just right_.

Bra's hair was simple, classic. Half was pinned back loosely and the curls went down to her waist softly, looking like silk. There were a few strands of hair left down to frame her face.

"A little." Bra answered truthfully, tightening her hold on the white roses. If it had been her decision, she would not have chosen white roses. The white rose was the colour of purity, of innocence. But instead of complaining, Bra had gone with Bulma's choice. "But I'm ready."

"Good, because your husband–to–be is waiting for you."

* * *

><p>Oh man, he was so nervous!<p>

It was only him and the two priests standing at the alter. Yes, Goten had a best man (was it even necessary for him to say the words out loud who it was?) and it was traditional for the best man to stand at the alter with the groom, but since Bra hadn't wanted any bridesmaids–

Suddenly, music began to play and everybody stood up from there seats, facing the back of the hall and during those few seconds, something flashed in Trunks's eyes and he quickly stood up and took his place beside Goten.

"Change of plan." he murmured to his best friend. "Bra's having one bridesmaid."

Goten nodded quickly and watched as the double doors opened, Pan stepping into the hall wearing a knee–length dress that was an extremely pale red, looking almost white. It only had one strap going over a single shoulder and was tight over her breasts, but floated out from there, somehow making her appear more curvier than she usually did. There was a smile on her features that had only the smallest amount of makeup on and her dark hair was completely pinned back, save for her bangs.

At the sight of her, Trunks's eyes warmed and he gave her a small smirk.

Her eyes lowered to the ground and a blush graced her cheeks.

And then, the music was shifting into a different tune and two other figures appeared in the doorway, making some gasp at the sight of Bra.

Goten was unable to form a single coherent thought.

Bra's arm was looped with her father's, who was walking tall (or as tall as Vegeta could be) and proudly beside his daughter, looking as regal as ever in his armour and crimson cape. The cape matched her dress, telling them all that despite getting married, she would always be a daddy's girl. Nothing would ever change that.

He couldn't stop staring at her. Not whilst she was walking down the aisle. Not whilst she was standing by side. Through the entire wedding, through the entire Saiyan ritual for those who were bonding, Goten could not look away from Bra. She was beautiful. And this girl, this woman, was now his wife. She was now his bonded mate.

The best moment, in his personal opinion, was when he finally got to kiss her.

Taking Bra by surprise, Goten smirked and wrapped his arms around her, bending her so far backwards that her hair almost touched the ground. She looked stunned for a moment. That look soon faded away when he kissed her. But it wasn't a kiss they had all been expecting. It was a soft kiss, a tender one. And not even the Saiyans could hear what Goten whispered into Bra's ear when they finally parted and stood up straight. Whatever it was, it had her blushing.

Bulma couldn't have been any happier. Her daughter was finally lowering her walls. So what if it wasn't with her parents, or with Trunks? What mattered was that Bra was happy.

Loud cheers suddenly erupted, making the couple smile at each other.

* * *

><p>"You know," Bra drawled, sounding bored despite the fact her body was as tensed as ever, like she was preparing to be attacked, "I don't see why you can't let me walk by myself. Or use my own eyes to see."<p>

Goten smirked down at his wife even though she could not see him. "It wouldn't be much of a surprise then, would it? Step." at his words, Bra warily climbed up a step. "Besides, nobody is going to touch you – except from me, of course." her blush returned tenfold. "Let me be your eyes for just this journey, Bra. We're almost there now."

She groaned with annoyance.

His smirk widened and he leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear and enjoying how Bra jumped ever so slightly. "Would you prefer it if I carried you?"

There was a pause. "…Maybe."

With a chuckle Goten scooped her up in his arms and began walking at a much faster pace. "I don't think we're supposed to do this until we're at the door."

She wasn't too sure, but Bra thought that Goten was right. Weren't they supposed to wait for him to carry her bridal style, so that he could carry her that way through the door to wherever the hell he was taking her and straight to the bedroom? Bra's breath hitched and her stomach filled with butterflies. Nervous. She was nervous. Why? They had slept together many times before. Maybe it was different now because they were husband and wife, bonded mates? Who knows. Whatever the reason, Bra was nervous. It didn't help that her eyes were being covered by a dark, thick blindfold, either. She wanted to know where they were going!

"Goten–"

"We're here!"

It surprised her when she felt them touch down onto the ground. When had Goten started flying? And when he lowered her to her feet, what surprised Bra even more, was that it was not hard ground or wooden floors that touched her feet – it was soft, soft grass. She could tell just by the texture. No, she was not barefoot, but she was wearing sandals and could feel the grass through them. After the wedding, her mother had handed her an outfit to wear, telling her that wearing her wedding dress whilst travelling would only end in it being ruined.

"Goten?"

"Do you like it?"

Bra rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. "You haven't taken the blindfold off me."

He chuckled sheepishly and quickly removed it.

The first thing to greet her sight was Goten leaning backwards, his features brightening with a large smile at the awed look on Bra's face once she saw the rest of the area. It was beautiful! And so quiet and peaceful, too. There was no one around for at least sixty miles – definitely something Bra preferred – and it was just… so natural and relaxing. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear a waterfall gushing, she could hear birds singing and other sounds of wildlife.

For the first time in a long time, she actually felt relaxed, like all the stress that had been piling up was sliding off her body.

Turning around to face the building behind them, a soft smile graced her lips. To one side, there was a small, temple–like building and not too far from that was an even larger one. The latter looked much newer, like it had been built fairly recently and there was smoke coming from the chimney, giving them both a homely, comforting feeling. There seemed to be three different parts to the second building, though – one large circular part (which looked as though it was the main section considering it was the part where the smoke was coming from) and then two rectangular sections, one larger than the other.

"My dad rebuilt it for my mom," Goten told her proudly, smiling brightly up at the house, "you know, like the one on Vegeta–sei? Apparently my mom's childhood home looked just like this one, but when they returned to Earth, it had been destroyed during an attack. She was devastated. So dad rebuilt it for her. My mom always says how it's so relaxing here and I thought it would be great for you." he glanced down at her, his grin fading to a small, loving smile. "I want you to focus on nothing but relaxing here, Bra. Nobody can touch you here."

Only relax? As in, no training? Looking around the large area, she bit her lip. Bra had been training so hard for so long now that she felt uncomfortable with missing a single day of it. In a way, she was just like her father.

Noticing that look, Goten threw his arm over her shoulder, guiding her towards the house. "Of course we can still train! I just meant I don't want you to be focused entirely on training. This time is all about us. Pretend like Majin Buu and Babidi don't even exist. They're not important right now."

That sounded nice. No, it sounded perfect. There was nothing Bra wanted more than to forget those vile beasts. She looked up at Goten with a bright smile. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Right now, they don't exist. We'll focus entirely on us."

She didn't think he could smile any brighter.

"Trunks and Pan brought our things here for us." Goten told her as he opened the front door, revealing the inside. It wasn't as luxurious as the palace, but again, there was a homely, comforting feeling to the place. This would be a nice change. "I think your mom, my mom and Pan packed your suitcases, though." Bra groaned. "Don't worry, before Trunks took my things I put some of your other clothes in with mine."

He really did know her so well.

Just as they were about to step into the home, Goten paused and once more, he was scooping her up in his arms and holding her bridal style. "Can't forget about tradition!"

"You're such a nerd." she laughed. "And incredibly cheesy! Put me down, Goten."

"Nope." he grinned, tightening his hold to prove that he would not do as she said. There were certainly some advantages to being stronger than her. "I plan on carrying you all the way to the bedroom, where I'm going to ravish you."

Once more, she was laughing. "Ravish? Have you been reading a dictionary?"

Goten didn't answer, simply blushed and chuckled sheepishly, making her roll her eyes and grin.

"This time is all about us," he reminded her, suddenly serious as he kissed her lips, "and I'm going to make sure you feel special."

She bit her lip. "Goten…"

There was a certain look in his eyes, one that was promising Bra the world and whilst she wanted nothing more than to believe him, she was scared. Damn it, why was she scared? Goten was now her husband.

"Only if you're ready, of course." Goten added quickly, noticing how her eyebrows were knitting together. "I know that… you've been uncomfortable being with me _that way_ since finding out we can't have children–"

"_I_ can't have children, Goten." she reminded him quietly, turning her eyes to the ground. "It's my fault, not yours."

Once they reached the bedroom, he nudged the door open and she was stunned to see it. Red rose petals (_red, not white!_) had been sprinkled over the ground, almost as though they were guiding them to the bed, which also had rose petals scattered around it as well as on the sheets. It was a little cliché, like something she'd see in a romance movie, but Bra didn't mind. Her husband was a nerd. There were also lit candles around the room, dimming the lights and just… The mood was so very intimate and comfortable.

"We're married now, Bra. We share our problems." lowering her to her feet, Goten leaned down and kissed her again. "I _will_ give you children." Goten whispered against her lips, his insides aching at the broken look in her eyes. "No matter what it takes I'm going to give you babies. Lots and lots of babies." she smiled shakily, a quiet, breathless sob escaping her. "We'll practice making babies right now," he pressed his lips to the sensitive spot just under her ear, "in the morning," his kisses lowered down her neck, making Bra close her eyes and release a soft sigh, "in the afternoon," Goten made his way back up to her lips, capturing them in a loving, tender kiss, "and at night. No matter what it takes, Bra. I'm going to make sure you'll be a mom, because any kid would be lucky to have you as their mother."

She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I didn't want to ruin the chapter with smut, so I thought I'd just leave you all wondering on how it goes for them both!**

**Oh and if you want to see Bra's wedding dress (since I wasn't too descriptive on it), just click on my profile and there'll be a link there soon. Personally, I love the dress.**

**Enrolment day at college for me tomorrow. I'm so nervous! But it also means that, if I get in, I might have to update even less. This time, I want to focus entirely on it.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	25. It's Time

**Chapter**** 25 ****– It's Time**

Like Goten had told her, their honeymoon had pretty much revolved around sex.

No, actually, not just sex. Intimacy. There wasn't a moment that went by where the mood was not intimate. After the first night, however, they both agreed that it would be best not to try for a baby until after the battle against Majin Buu and Babidi. Anything could happen and if she was actually capable of falling pregnant, then it would be a huge risk. Bra knew that if she was pregnant, it would be a miracle and if anything happened to the baby, it would crush her.

They had decided to stay for a week. Well, on the last day of their honeymoon, they had decided to return to the palace. A rather unsettling feeling had worked its way into the air, one that had the hairs on the back of their necks standing.

"What's this chill?" Goten frowned, glancing down at his arms to see that they were covered in goosebumps. He had never felt anything like it before!

Bra immediately stopped everything she was doing, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

And it was with that single look that Goten knew exactly what was happening.

"It's time."

* * *

><p>"Queen Bulma–"<p>

"I know." she interrupted Krillin and continued to slip the chest plate over her head, then moving onto pulling on her boots and gloves. "Have Bra and Goten's armour prepared for them immediately. They're on their way here."

Krillin nodded once, not commenting on the fact that he was not a servant. Instead he did as he was ordered to whilst contacting his wife via scouter, confirming everything.

A moment later and Vegeta was in the room, also preparing himself for the battle. His eyes were wild with a bloodthirsty look, telling those in the room that he couldn't wait to tear into the bastards. After exchanging a final look with Bulma, Krillin left the room, going to meet Goten and Bra as he sensed them about to reach the palace.

"Vegeta," Bulma spoke seriously, "remember that this is for Bra. Not us."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, tail bristling around his waist. "Do not tell me what I can and cannot do, Bulma."

"I'm not." she argued calmly whilst watching him dress. "I'm simply reminding you of the promise you made to our daughter. That you won't get involved unless she needs you to. Bra needs this, Vegeta. She needs this revenge to put what happened, behind her."

There was a pause, one where he seemed to calm down. "I know."

* * *

><p>There was no denying that she was terrified. Her palms were sweaty, her breathing was quick and her heartbeat was even quicker, pounding away in her chest. It surprised Pan that her heart hadn't gone shooting straight out of her chest.<p>

Her parents had gone to meet up with her grandparents, whilst she had gone to the first place she could think of.

To Trunks's room.

The door was open for her when she arrived, meaning Trunks had been expecting her. Pan wasn't sure what to make of that. The sight that greeted her as she entered his room was one she was used to seeing. Trunks preparing for battle. He was wearing his armour, already fully dressed and slipped his sword onto his back. It was rare of him to use the sword, but he took it everywhere with him after being given it by a warrior named Tapion. That was way back before Pan had been on his team, though. Hell, it was before their team had even been created! Back then it had been just him and Goten.

"Trunks?" she called hesitantly, her hands fidgeting in front of her.

He seemed distracted as he mumbled out a reply of, "What is it?"

She stepped forward, raising a hand, but stopped herself as it lowered once more. After their kiss in the hospital, they hadn't done anything else. Trunks kept good on his promise, kept reminding her that he had to protect Bra, no matter what. He couldn't be distracted. It had hurt her, no it had completely crushed her, but Pan understood. If she had any siblings, perhaps she would act the same way? There was no telling. But Trunks and Bra had always been close, had always been there for one another. Right now, Trunks was not the Trunks who could be her possible lover. He was big brother Trunks now, a dangerous and fierce warrior who was going to make their enemies pay for harming his little sister.

"I…" her breathing quickened as the dark feeling she could sense increased, feeling as though it was suffocating her. "I can't breathe."

Trunks's head snapped up, glancing over at her and when he realised she was hyperventilating, panicking, he quickly phased over to her, cupping her face and forcing her to lock eyes with him, to match her panicked breathing with his calm and even breathing. It took a few minutes, but she managed to do it.

"Pan," he sighed, pressing his forehead to hers, "don't let it get to your head."

"How can you say that?" Pan demanded angrily as tears of fear filled her eyes. "I… I can sense them all so much more clearly than the rest of you! I can sense their intentions." a quivering sob shook her body. "My gift is being able to sense energies without even trying to, with picking up on their moods and intentions through their ki. They're all bloodthirsty animals, Trunks! I'm… I'm scared. For me. For my family. You and your family. But I'm especially scared for Bra. No, I'm terrified for her."

It was the truth. Since sensing their disgusting energies, Pan had not stopped shaking once.

"Look at me, Pan." she did so reluctantly, staring into his eyes with obvious fear and worry. "I'm not going to let anything happen to our families. Majin Buu doesn't stand a chance against us if we all stick together, if we fight as one. No, Bra isn't going to like that because she wants to fight him herself, but that's how it is. That's how it's got to be."

She shook her head. He didn't understand, did he? Babidi… Yes, he could be taken down easily if he somehow couldn't use his magical powers, but Majin Buu? No. Pan didn't think it would be possible to defeat him. His energy was dark, a pool of nothing. It was endless. There literally was no end to his murderous, disgusting energy.

And then Trunks was kissing her, completely surprising her and making her mind go blank.

When he pulled away, he gave her a devilish smirk. "You know, we're going to have to work on the fact that you never kiss me back if we're going to–"

Pan silenced him by pressing her lips to his, her hands fisting in his hair.

* * *

><p>The battlefield was eerily silent when Bra and Goten arrived.<p>

Everybody was already there, already in position. There were not many Saiyans there, but there were a hell of a lot of powerful humans. Each had their own gift, their own strength. They would use them against Majin Buu and Babidi.

They dropped down to the ground by her parents. Bulma sent her a look Bra couldn't fully understand, but she could distinguish the worry in her eyes, the fear. She gave her mother a confident smirk, trying to ease her mind. It didn't work. Trunks was stood on the other side of her parents, next to their father, who was glaring ahead of him, waiting for the enemy to appear. The only reason why Goten was allowed to stand beside her was because he was now her husband. If he had only been her lover, he would have had to stand back with his family.

"Nobody touches Majin Buu." Bra reminded them, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she glanced at her father. "He's mine."

Vegeta didn't answer her.

Nobody did.

And then they heard a sharp intake of breath from Pan, both felt and smelt her fear filling the air as she sensed the enemies finally showing themselves. Somehow, they had managed to transport themselves onto the planet. Bra didn't care how they arrived or when they arrived. All she knew was that they were going to die here, on the planet Earth. And she was going to be the one to kill the vile bastards.

"They're here." Pan informed them, her voice a little higher and shakier than usual as she took a half–step back, her entire body trembling as the dark, murderous intent weighed down on her. "They're here!"

The enemies were suddenly appearing out of nowhere, standing a hundred feet away from them. No two warriors looked the same, meaning Babidi had been recruiting men from all over the galaxy and not just that, but every single one of them had the letter 'M' on their forehead. So they were under Babidi's control? That didn't matter. They would still have to die. They were threatening their empire, their people.

Bra strengthened her stance, her eyes glaring viciously and tearing through the enemy, trying to locate the ones she wanted to kill more than anything. They were not there.

"Pan." her voice was low and dark, sending shivers up the younger girl's spine. "Where is Majin Buu? Or Babidi?"

Reluctantly, Pan closed her eyes and focused on the darkest energies of all, but snapped her eyes open a moment later as flashes of their evil faces and ki filled her mind. They were pure evil! In her mind, the lighter the energy was, the more pure it was. Take her grandfather for example. His energy was an incredibly pale yellow, meaning that whilst he was innocent and pure hearted, there was still a darker side to him, even if it was only minute. Right now, Kakarot was transformed into a Super Saiyan and Pan hadn't failed to notice how, when in that form, all who could unlock that form were a little darker, a little more vicious, whilst in it. Their energy was not as light. Kakarot's was now a deep golden colour.

Majin Buu's energy was the darkest she had ever come across and Babidi's was just as dark, just as evil. A shiver ran up her spine.

"They're… hiding." Pan told her after a moment of tense silence, her eyebrows knitting together. "Waiting to see how we all do against these guys."

Trunks nodded once, agreeing with Pan. "Think of it as a tournament, Bra." he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "If you win against these guys, then those two will come out and fight us themselves."

Her upper lip curled, her energy enveloped her entire body and Pan's breathing quickened as, in her mind, Bra's ki suddenly went from a calm and relaxing sky blue to a dark navy.

"Bastards!" she spat.

Bulma and Vegeta exchanged a look and as they did, their thoughts and words drifted through their bond, through their connection.

This was it.

After all of the warnings, the preparation, the head games, it was finally time.

Bulma and Vegeta stood side by side with their children as well as Goten whilst Kakarot and his family stood behind them, flanking them. Eyes narrowing and fists clenching, every warrior there powered up to their maximum just as Bra had.

This was their Empire and they would do anything to protect it.

Bra's left foot slowly moved backwards and much to everybody's surprise and horror, she blasted forward ahead of the rest of them, a murderous, bloodthirsty look on her face as she reached the other army, as she tore through them. The king and queen were right behind her, backing her up and making sure nobody touched their daughter. It was a second later when Trunks and Goten joined them, the former pulling his sword from its sheath and swinging it around and bringing it down on the enemies, not even sparing a second glance at them as he cut them in half, as he made sure they wouldn't get back up.

It was with that sudden start that the rest of the army all darted forward.

The battle had finally begun.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Started college today, which is why I didn't update around my usual time! I get my official timetable on Friday, so I'll see if I'll be able to update on Wednesdays still or not. I might start updating on weekends if I can't.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	26. We All Fall Down

**Chapter ****26 – We All Fall Down**

The trick was to completely incinerate those under Babidi's mind control.

Many had learned the hard way.

From her place on the ground, Pan sobbed, her entire body trembling as she leaned over the spasming body of her mother, shielding her from stray blasts and debris. She was still alive. She was still alive. That was all that went through Pan's mind. Over and over again. _She was still alive_.

Videl had lunged straight into battle, taking on one of the bigger guys, believing she could take him. It was where Pan got her cockiness from. From her mother. At first, Videl had been winning, she had been at an advantage. But then the creep managed to get up from the ground, snapping his own neck back into place (it had been broken by a misplaced kick). The shock of seeing such a sight had caused Videl to freeze and during that pause, the giant man had shot forward and used her as a personal punching bag.

The moment he saw what had happened, Gohan had become enraged.

The man died after one ki blast.

By now, most of the enemies were dead but that didn't mean the empire didn't have their own losses. They did. Quite a few warriors had been lost. Some Bra personally knew, others she didn't. Her mind was too fixed on the oncoming battle to grieve, however. As was her father's.

"Bra!"

The blood curdling scream of her name had Bra snapping her head in Pan's direction and she knew exactly what that pale faced, wide–eyed look meant. She could see the building horror in her best friend's tear–filled eyes, could see the fear and the pain and the worry in them.

Tarble seemed to appear out of nowhere, kneeling down beside Videl and gently cradling the back of her head, slipping a senzu bean between her lips. Once he was certain she was better (she proved it by sitting up by herself, smiling her thanks), he was darting off to the next injured person. Tarble was the only one fast enough to get to all of those who were injured. Instead of fighting (he had a pacifistic nature), he acted as the entire army's medic, only fighting if he had absolutely no choice.

And then that feeling washed over her, making the hairs on the back of Bra's neck stand on end, making her tail bristle – like a cat who sensed a threat. It was slowly how she turned her back on Pan, facing the new enemies who finally decided to show themselves and in an instant, her parents were flanking her, one at each of her sides with deadly expressions on their faces.

It was like the entire world had stopped the second Majin Buu lowered himself from the sky, standing tall with his disgusting smirk. He was staring right at her with his ugly red eyes. Those who were still fighting, stopped, seeming distracted by the murderous intent Pan had been feeling all day long, although others took advantage of that pause and finally ended the rest of Babidi's men.

"Coward." Bra surprised even herself by speaking directly to him.

His head tilted to the side and it made some gag how he cracked his neck by rolling his shoulders and head. "Oh? And how am I a coward?"

Like it had done earlier, Bra's left foot slipped backwards, capturing Buu's attention immediately and something flashed in his red eyes as she lowered herself into a crouch, preparing to shoot forward. "Forcing us to fight all of these mindless zombies, weakening us, before you appeared! _That_ is how you're a coward."

"Calm down, Bra." Vegeta spoke in a low growl, even though he could feel his own anger swelling. "You won't win this if you lose yourself to your emotions. You will be blinded by them."

"She isn't going to win this anyway." a nasally voice retorted and not even a second later, a small green man was stepping out from behind of Majin Buu.

Bulma's nose scrunched up with obvious disgust. "_You're_ the wizard Babidi that we've heard so much about?" she leaned forward, hands falling to her hips as a displeased look entered her features. "I was expecting you to be taller and… less wrinkly."

Not too far from them, Chi–Chi smirked. "You kind of look like a mole–man."

"Majin Buu."

Pan's eyes widened as she sensed energy gathering, as she sensed their intentions. "Grandma, Bulma, _look out_!"

But her warning was too late.

At least for one of the women.

The air was forcefully ripped from her lungs as a slender leg suddenly took her own out, dropping her to the ground with a harsh thud. It took a moment to gather her thoughts, to think straight and try to recall what had happened due to hitting her head on the way down, but the second she did, Bulma was turning onto her stomach so she could look behind her and screaming, "_Chi–Chi_!"

A loud scream of loss tore through the air and it broke the hearts of many as Kakarot doubled over, clutching his head tightly in his hands as he felt his wife's, his bonded mate's soul rip from his. That was how the ritual worked. You tied your soul with another's in a permanent bond. Only death could separate them.

Both Goten and Gohan were no different as their eyes widened in disbelief, as their bodies trembled with rage a second before they were shooting forward towards Majin Buu, a vengeful look on each of their faces. Bulma was right behind them a second later, stumbling for a second when she climbed to her feet, but the moment she was steady, the murderous intent pouring from her was suffocating and it only increased as her mind's ability began to leak out, began to shift through the air to try and distract Babidi.

They were all batted to the ground like _they were nothing_.

"Goten!"

He nodded once as Trunks dropped to his side and when they began to move into position to start the fusion, Gohan kept Majin Buu distracted by throwing ki blast after ki blast, powering up to his maximum whilst doing so.

Bra's heart was thundering away in her chest. If she hadn't reacted so quickly to that flash in Buu's eyes, her mother would have died. Luckily, due to having knocked her legs out from under her, only her hair had been singed. That could be fixed and it didn't matter to Bra in the least. What mattered was the pain her friends were now experiencing because of the loss of one of the most kind hearted women she had known. _Her husband's mother_. She had been dead before she even hit the ground.

As Bulma shot forward once more, her leg lashing out to hit Majin Buu, she was startled when his antenna wrapped around her ankle and swung her through the air before throwing her across the sky, making her world spin until somebody caught her. She knew just by the scent, by the feel of his arms, that it was Vegeta. He looked murderous after having been stunned by the pain his woman had been in from losing her friend, by the fact that he had almost lost _her_.

Kakarot's legs gave out on him as he fell to the ground beside the lifeless body of Chi–Chi, his mind and body overwhelmed by the loss of his other half.

"Chi–Chi…" he whispered, his voice getting caught in his throat.

He didn't even notice when two people fell beside him, crying quietly as they did. He didn't look up or acknowledge Pan and Videl, even when they took each of his hands in theirs. He couldn't. All he could see was the hole in Chi–Chi's forehead and her faded dark eyes. The eyes that had been so very expressive to him. They were the only eyes that could make his stomach flip with nervousness, with excitement. Even after all these years.

"Fusion, ha!"

And then Trunks and Goten were no more. Now, they were Gotenks. A completely different being and when Gohan finally jumped away from Buu, using his last kick to vault away from him, Gotenks glared viciously at Majin Buu, raising his hand and pointing at the pink alien.

"You're going to regret that!" he spat, the mixture of Goten's and Trunks's voices making the threat all the more deadly.

Eyes scanning the area around her, Bra tried to take a deep breath, like how her father did when trying to calm himself. It wasn't working. The human warriors were all too scared to fight, choosing to stay back. That didn't surprise her. They wouldn't last two seconds against Buu. Chi–Chi had been killed by a single blow! It took everything not to show her reaction to the loss of her mother–in–law. Sometimes, Bra wished she still couldn't feel anything. At least this fear, this pain wouldn't be here.

Majin Buu once again cracked his neck, seeming bored of Gotenks already. "Bra," he smirked when he saw her tense, when her eyes widened. She wasn't the only one to react in such a way. A lot of people stared between Bra and Majin Buu in shock (those who didn't know what had happened did, anyway). Those who knew the truth, stared in anger, "it's good to see you again."

All anger had left her and she couldn't bring it back. Her eyes were still wide, vicious memories flashing through her mind. It became difficult to think, to breathe. It wasn't until a feminine body dropped in front of hers, arms out to her sides and shielding her from their view that Bra felt the spell break. It helped that she had entered Bra's mind and knocked her out of the stupor. Blue hair moved in the breeze, the silence almost deafening until Bulma spoke up, her voice loud and demanding so that everybody heard her. Inside, Bra smirked weakly. Her mother would have it no other way. She _had_ to have everybody's attention.

"I told you once." she growled, the wind picking up as her power level grew higher with her anger. "_Stay out of my daughter's head, Babidi_!"

And then Gotenks was attacking, actually managing to get a few hits in before Majin Buu found an opening. But just as he was about to take advantage of that opening, Vegeta was coming down on him with a harsh kick to the face, sending the pink alien flying backwards and away from the fused men.

"Watch for counter attacks!" he spat at Gotenks. "I've told you many times, Trunks."

"Gotenks." Gotenks corrected with an arrogant smirk, scratching under his nose.

"Like I give a damn about what your name is!"

A pink hand suddenly tore the ground open from beneath Gotenks's feet, surprisingly them all as the rest of the ground was destroyed by Majin Buu ripping his arms out of it. His hold tightened on Gotenks, treating him like he was nothing more than a rag doll as he swung him around before he yanked the man forward. The sickening sound of Buu's forehead colliding with the forehead of Gotenks would haunt many.

It terrified Bra when she saw the pair break up, becoming their own individual person once again. What the hell was happening? It was all going so quickly! Surely half an hour hadn't passed already? Bra looked up at the sky, her eyes narrowing as she tried to tell the time with the position of the sun, but her mind was too excited, her thoughts moving too fast. She couldn't concentrate and couldn't remember what position the sun had been in when they first fused.

Trunks seemed a bit dizzy, stumbling, whilst Goten was sent soaring through the sky, landing far behind Bra by at least two hundred feet.

"I remember you." Majin Buu said to Trunks as he tilted his head to the side, grinning down at him wickedly. "You're the brat who thought he killed me!"

Despite the overwhelming nauseous feeling rising and making him sway, Trunks narrowed his eyes at Buu and forced himself to stand strong, staring him down with only ten feet of space between them. That space only continued to grow smaller as Majin Buu walked forward until they were toe–to–toe. He was around two heads taller than Trunks and definitely seemed the most intimidating, but Bra knew her brother. She knew how he fought. He was downright unforgiving on the battlefield if you deserved his anger. Completely sweet and harmless to innocent people, but to his enemies…

"It'll take more than that."

A blood curdling scream ripped out of Bulma as a hand was suddenly tearing through Trunks's chest, the lavender haired man seemed unable to do anything but stand there with wide eyes. Bra demanded her body to move. A lot of people did. But they were all shocked. Just like Trunks was. He didn't even seem to feel it until Buu's hand reached the other side, easily ripping through his armour. The way he went still, the way his body sagged, pained them all. Vegeta was assaulted by unwanted memories, of when King Cold had killed both his parents in the exact same way.

"You will never be able to protect your whore of a sister from me."

He yanked his hand out of Trunks's chest and smirked evilly.

"Trunks!" Bra screamed so loudly that her vocal chords felt as though they were about to snap. Her eyes were wide as she watched her brother's body fall to the ground, his eyes unfocused and faded.

Both Vegeta and Bulma trembled with rage as they shot forward towards Buu. Whilst Bulma cried out with anger and loss, Vegeta's glare spoke volumes, terrifying all those who were watching and freezing them in their places.

As Vegeta came from in front of Buu, Bulma came from the back and the second they both reached him, the two released ki blasts into each of his shoulders, completely ripping his arms off. Buu's disgusting blood splattered all over them and the two leaped back from their positions, watching as he staggered to his knees.

"You… killed _my son_!" Bulma shook her head angrily as she watched Buu stand back up and regenerate as though nothing happened. There weren't even any signs or proof that she and Vegeta had just attacked. "How dare you?" she screamed at him before charging forward again.

The loss of her son was like someone had gone and shoved a white hot branding iron right into the centre of her heart. Seeing Trunks fall to the ground, lifeless, caused so much anger and pain to course through Bulma's veins that she couldn't even think straight. It was times like these that she wished she still had her inner. Her inner–self was much stronger than her and enjoyed causing pain and destruction. In fact she had never felt a flicker of guilt from doing it. But no, Bulma wanted to do this herself. This bastard was going to die by _her_ hands.

However, before Bulma could reach Buu, she felt something connect with her and a second later, she was on the ground, panting heavily with someone on top of her.

"Stupid woman." Vegeta growled as he quickly assessed her wounds before standing back up, also pulling her to her feet. "You're too blinded by your anger and he's using it against you."

As Bulma looked up to growl at Vegeta, she froze, seeing what he had meant. Behind her mate, hundreds of pieces of chocolate fell to the ground, making her eyes widen in fear. That was where her daughter had been stood not even a minute ago.

"Bra!" Bulma cried out as she spun around to try and spot her daughter.

"The girl is fine." Vegeta told her. "Kakarot's brat pushed her out of the way."

Bulma nodded once before realisation hit her. "Goten–"

She was interrupted by a loud wail of loss. Her eyes widened once again as Bulma spun around to see her daughter on her knees, crying out Goten's name.

In front of her was a piece of chocolate shaped just like the half Saiyan.

Bra's tear filled eyes snapped up to Buu's smug face as she pulled herself to her feet. Her body trembled with the loss of not only her big brother, but also her bonded mate. As she glared at the pink anomaly, Bra felt something within her slip and before she knew it, her body was powering up of its own accord. She cried out with anger, loss and sadness as her power continued to grow and as she did, it felt as though the power was feeding off of her emotions. Her once blue hair flashed golden and the blue energy around her started to show hints of gold. As her hair flashed golden, the band holding her hair in a now loose bun snapped, but it didn't fall. Instead, it floated around her like a deadly halo, like Trunks's had when he had once let his hair grow. Whilst her hair continued to change colours, her eyes changed from their usual stunning blue to a murderous, unforgiving teal.

Her tears continued to fall throughout her transformation, despite the heat that immediately evaporated them once they fell.

As soon as her transformation was complete, the warriors around her were all knocked off of their feet as her energy shook the ground, her aura practically screaming death as she locked eyes with Buu.

"…Bra," both Bulma and Vegeta gasped, knowing that that had been the final push.

Bra's body stopped trembling as she continued her intimidating stare down with Buu.

"You sick, twisted bastard!" Bra roared as she clenched her fists tightly.

Majin Buu laughed at the girl as he phased behind her, but Bra didn't look shocked. In fact, she looked pissed. "Foolish girl." Buu purred as he moved closer. "You may have become a Super Saiyan now, but don't think that that will save you and your precious loved ones. Your brother was much stronger than you are and look at how easily _he_ was defeated."

Bra's features became completely emotionless at his words, shocking her parents and everyone who was watching either warily, angrily or downright trembling in fear at the dark, murderous auras emitting from the two. Bra's aura was clashing against Buu's, seeming just as dark and evil, seeming just as unstable.

"You're nothing." Buu said in a huskier voice as he leaned towards Bra's ear.

Just as he was about to kiss her neck, Bra spun around and slammed her fist into his stomach, making the air vanish out of Buu's lungs.

"Don't fucking touch me." she said in a deadly voice, her eyes promising pain. With that said Bra fell to the ground and kicked upwards, smashing her feet into his chest with as much strength as she could muster and throwing Buu into the air.

As he fell back towards her, Bra met him halfway and backhanded him back to the ground, creating a crater where he fell. However as she was about to go after him, a dark chuckle that would have previously made her freeze in place came from beside her and a second later, pain exploded from her side as she was kicked to the ground.

"I have to admit, you're putting up more of a fight than the last time we met." Buu smirked as he landed beside Bra and picked her up by her tail, but Bra merely glared at him from her upside down position. Her folded arms showed her arrogance as she continued to glare. "I see you've trained your tail now so it won't hurt. It's a shame you didn't do that _before_ we met, isn't it?" his smirk widened as Bra's eyes narrowed, as well as her parents' and everyone else. "Ah, I remember that moment like it happened only minutes ago."

His hold tightened on Bra's tail but if she felt any pain, she didn't show it. "That was the first time I made you _scream_." he laughed darkly, despite the deadly glares he was receiving. "Even though I tortured you, beat you, _raped you_… you didn't scream once."

Bra's eyes widened before they darted around the crowds, who had all started to gasp or pale. She could feel her stomach starting to twist as they all heard about her moment of weakness, her shame, the moment that she had been made impure. "Shut up." she growled warningly, turning back to Buu.

Again, his hold tightened and this time Bra started to feel it, but she didn't show it. "You Saiyans are so proud." Buu smirked as he slammed Bra face down into the ground and pinned her beneath his foot, her tail still in his hand. "I _am_ surprised you're not psychologically damaged, but never mind. I came up with over a thousand new ways to torture you. Do you want to try some of them out?" he laughed darkly as he started to pull.

A sickening, piercing scream ripped out of Bra's throat and echoed across the battlefield as she clawed desperately at the ground. Unwanted tears sprung to her eyes as she felt her tail being pulled, making white hot pain shoot up and down her spine and black spots to steal her sight. However after a couple of seconds, the hold vanished as she heard a feral growl erupting from beside her. A second after that, another figure also dropped into a fighting stance in front of her.

"Bra, can you move?" Bulma asked over her shoulder, watching as Buu pulled himself to his feet once again and wiped the blood away from his mouth. Beside her, stood a _very_ pissed off Vegeta, who looked as though he was about to rip Buu's head off of his shoulders.

She tried, she really did, but there was just so much pain exploding from her nerves. "N–No," Bra whimpered as another spasm shook her. "My… m–my… tail… an–and… my spin–spine…"

"It's okay, Bra," a softer voice spoke from behind her.

As her wide eyes darted over her shoulder, Bra relaxed when she saw her best friend, Pan, who looked like she had been crying. No doubt she _had_ been, everyone knew of her feelings towards Trunks and not to mention her grandmother had been killed as well as her uncle had just been turned into chocolate. Add finally finding out what happened to Bra all those months ago and watching helplessly as she was tortured before them… Bra closed her eyes sadly in defeat.

Beside Pan however, stood two men who Bra had never seen before. The smaller man smiled sadly at Bra whilst the much taller one knelt beside her and raised his hands over her body. She heard him mutter something along the lines of "ruthless miscreant", but nothing else as her pain started to subside. Before long, Pan was helping her to her feet.

Bra's eyes widened as she looked at the two men. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You have been through a lot, Bra." the small man said as he frowned. "I'm sorry we didn't realise sooner, it only came to our knowledge what had happened to you after your mother told us through her mind ability just now. We should have come sooner, we know that. However, Babidi has found a way to conceal himself from us."

Bulma growled from behind Bra as she watched Vegeta shoot forward. "Yeah and a lot of help _that_ did," she snapped before blasting off to help her mate.

She frowned at her mother's harsh words, but Bra knew they were true. Telling them both hadn't helped in the slightest. Of course she knew who they were. It wasn't difficult to pick up on the strange ki coming from the smaller man (it helped that her mother had told her who he was through their connection a second before returning to the battle). He was the Supreme Kai and the taller man was called Kibito.

Suddenly, the princess was frozen in place as she felt two arms wrap around her tightly.

"I'm so sorry." Pan whispered through her sobs as she tightened her hold. "If I had known… I wouldn't… I wouldn't have pushed you so much to tell me. I can't imagine what you–"

Bra pulled out of Pan's hold. "It's okay, Pan." she replied. "My mom and Trunks put barriers up in my mind so that it didn't cause too much stress." Bra looked down at the ground as she glared at it. "But lately… lately the walls have been crumbling because of Babidi invading my mind and now… now that Trunks i–is… _gone,_ half of the barriers have gone too."

Pan whimpered at the sound of Trunks's name but held back her sobs. Right now wasn't the time to be weak. He would would her to be strong and protect his little sister. "So does that mean you're being forced back into…?" she couldn't finish her question. Pan didn't know what to call the state Bra had been in.

"I don't know." Bra sighed as she watched her parents fight against Buu. She was aware of the two men and Pan staring at her, but Bra ignored them. "I don't think it'll be as bad as what it had been. I'm dealing with what happened now." turning to face the Supreme Kai and Kibito, Bra asked, "Can you change them back to their original form? Those who were turned into chocolate?"

Supreme Kai looked unsure, but eventually he nodded. "I believe we can, but it will take some time. As long as the chocolate is not broken or eaten by Majin Buu, we may have a chance at saving them."

"Please, just try."

With that said, Bra joined her parents in the fight against Buu.

Just as she reached halfway, however, they put more space between themselves and Majin Buu, who was beginning to pant heavily. They stood by her sides, speaking in low voices.

"Do you think you can distract him, Bra?"

At her father's question, Bra's eyes narrowed. If she could find a way to gain the upper hand, she was certain she could keep it. "…Yeah. What's the plan?"

"You'll see soon." Bulma told her seriously, not taking her eyes off Babidi for even a second. "Just try and keep him distracted for as long as possible, but don't take any unnecessary risks, do you understand? Gohan is already in on this – I spoke with him through my gift."

"I'll do it." she nodded once.

She _would_ do it. For Goten. For Trunks. For Chi–Chi!

It was with that thought that Bra used her recently gained speed and blasted towards Buu, taking him by surprise when she didn't pull any punches, but instead headbutted him in the stomach, viciously beating the air from his lungs.

"It's my turn now, you bastard." she spat.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Majin Buu suddenly laughed loudly and shot up from his position on the ground, charging a large ki blast. Quickly crossing her arms in front of her, Bra prepared herself to take it head on, but instead of throwing it at her, he threw it behind her.

Right at a still–grieving Kakarot. He was still leaning over Chi–Chi's body, seeming to have gone into shock. Bra had never seen him in such a state before! She had been expecting him to get involved in the battle, to literally tear Majin Buu to pieces! But he wasn't. He couldn't move. He simply kept repeating Chi–Chi and Goten's name over and over again. Videl was by his side and a second later, so was Pan.

Her heart stopped as she saw the quarter–Saiyan throwing her arms out to her sides, dark eyes squeezing shut as she tried to use a technique Gohan had taught her, but it was no use. It came so naturally to him because it was his gift.

He was a shield.

Bra didn't even need to look to know what was about to happen, but she continued to stare with wide, horrified eyes. It was like she couldn't look away as Gohan suddenly phased in front of his family, arms out in front of him as a sphere of pure ki seemed to appear around them. He grunted with the strain of holding it up, of keeping it going when Buu's attack hit, causing a harsh, unforgiving light to almost blind them all.

Amongst it all, Bra could hear Pan's screams of "papa", she could hear Videl crying out Gohan's name. She sensed Kakarot finally snapping back into himself, but it was all too late. There was a downside to Gohan's gift, which was why he never used it. It had been discovered during his training and since learning that, he had attempted to create a different version of his shield. Nothing worked to the extent of how this particular shield worked.

He was giving his life to save his family's.

During the distraction, Bra lunged. She fought with Buu like she was a deranged animal. Clawing at his chest, sinking her teeth into his neck. Hell, she had even tore his arm off! But no matter what she did, he continued to regenerate. Bra had done what her parents asked of her, however. She was distracting Majin Buu. He couldn't get a single hit in! Her fists slammed into him repeatedly, but no matter how much further away from her that he got with each blow, Bra was right there with another.

_Keep hitting him. Keep hitting him. Keep hitting him!_

That was all that went through Bra's mind.

In the background, if she had been able to focus on them, she would have seen the lights fading away into nothing, would have seen Gohan falling face first into the dirt. However, in her Super Saiyan form, she could hear everything. She could hear their wails of distress, could hear Pan screaming for her father to wake up, could hear Videl sobbing and crying. Slowly, like he could barely even feel his legs, Kakarot stood up, his body trembling and automatically unlocking his Super Saiyan form, but the moment she felt a switch in his ki, Pan shot up from her position, shaking him firmly and demanding his attention, telling him that there was a plan they had to follow, warning him that Bra's ki was currently the darkest it had ever been before. _Don't get involved_! He understood immediately, all sense coming back to him as he tried to ignore the fact he now only felt like half a person.

Bra yelled, growled and screamed angrily as she swung Majin Buu around by his antenna, occasionally yanking him towards her to land a bone–shattering punch to the face. She was certain she had broken his nose at least four times by now and his jaw even more times, but the bastard kept healing himself!

She had to buy some time for her mother and father, who were both powering up to their maximum, as well as the Supreme Kai and Kibito, who were in the process of returning those made into chocolate back to normal.

Another yank, another punch and Buu was once again being swung around and slammed into mountains, into the ground, causing the entire planet to feel as though it was shaking.

Pan could only watch with horror–filled eyes. Her best friend had always been a fierce warrior, but as she watched Bra smirking as she delivered a devastating kick to the chest, making Buu scream with pain when his ribs were shattered, Pan couldn't help but wonder when Bra had become so ruthless. It terrified her. Had there always been such a vicious streak in her best friend? Bra was like a sister to her, surely she would have noticed?

It wasn't until her grandfather placed a hand on her shoulder that Pan realised she was trembling and if they hadn't been in the middle of a war, she would have collapsed against him and sobbed.

"She needs this, Pan." Kakarot told her quietly, like he didn't even dare say the words too loud. "She needs to face her fears and defeat Buu."

Because if she didn't, there would always be that darkness inside of her.


	27. For My Family

**Chapter ****27**** – ****For My Family**

Sitting up quickly, he gasped for air, his entire body aching from the morphing.

"Goten." Kakarot sighed with relief, thankful that his youngest son was alive. He held out his hand and pulled him to his feet, watching him carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've just gone ten rounds with you and Vegeta." Goten muttered, staring down at his hands in confusion. "Dad, did I–"

The battlefield shaking violently demanded their attention, causing Goten to cut off from his sentence as he was almost thrown off balance. Many around him actually did fall to the ground, unable to keep standing against such a quake. He knew, however, that that was no ordinary earthquake. It was the aftershock of a powerful ki blast. Just the feeling in the air told him that.

Goten's eyes widened. "Bra–"

"She's fine." a quiet voice spoke up from behind him and quickly turning, he found Pan staring up at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and face was dirty and tearstained. The sight made his chest ache and it was with that single look that he knew what had happened.

Gohan.

The ground disappeared from beneath him as Goten fell onto his backside. Everything felt so surreal. How could so many talented warriors have been defeated? Sure, Majin Buu was powerful, but Goten hadn't thought that he would be this strong! Gohan, his older brother, was one of the toughest guys he had known. His mother, whilst not the strongest female he had ever met, was still powerful in her own right. She hadn't even seen that blast coming before it hit her in the forehead. And Trunks. Trunks had been just as shocked by the pink alien's speed. The memory of a large, pink hand lunging into his best friend's chest almost had Goten retching.

His ability wasn't anything special, in his eyes. In fact he had only just figured it out two moments before Bra had almost been zapped with whatever the hell had come out of Majin Buu's antenna. Growing up, Goten had believed that he didn't have a gift and his father had tried to reassure him, to cheer him up, saying he must be more Saiyan than human, if that was the case.

"Instant transmission."

Kakarot frowned and glanced down at his son. "What?"

"That's my gift." he murmured and pulled himself to his feet once more, taking a step back so that he could face them both. "We all thought I didn't have a gift, because no matter what happened, I couldn't seem to use or unlock it, right? Well, when I saw Majin Buu go to zap Bra, or whatever–"

"He turns people into whatever he wants, Goten." Pan frowned up at him. "He turned you and hundreds of others into chocolate."

Lucky guy. To be able to turn whatever he wanted into food must be–

No. Majin Buu was still a bastard.

He was simply a bastard with a rather neat trick.

"Anyway," Goten continued, once again staring down at his hands as they clenched into fists and unclenched. It was so strange knowing that he had been chocolate, "when I saw that Bra was about to be hit, I just… I don't know how to explain it. Everything in me focused entirely on her, on her ki. I think my bond with her helped. However it happened, one moment I'm standing behind the other warriors, still dazed from having my forehead slammed up against Majin Buu's," who had a ridiculously hard head, by the way, "and then the next, I hear screams of Bra's name, telling her to get out of the way. Something just snapped and before I knew it, I was right next to her and shoving her out of the way." he frowned and glanced down at his niece. "Where is she?"

There was a pause due to another vicious trembling of the earth, before Pan bit her lip and raised her hand, pointing north. "A mile that way. If you're going after her, you won't have a hard time trying to find her."

That didn't sound good. His dark eyebrows mashed together. "She's fighting Majin Buu _alone_?" he demanded angrily, powering up to Super Saiyan despite his body protesting with aches and pains. "How could you let her do that, dad?"

"There's a plan!" he argued back, looking just as angry. "It's my job to protect the princess, Goten, but right now I've been given orders by the king to stay back and protect the other warriors. Bra's got the upper hand right now."

How? Goten didn't mean it in a disrespectful way, but how the hell was that possible? Even Trunks hadn't been able to sense–

Tarble (who was the fastest in the universe) had been working on Bra's speed for months now, whilst Trunks was more strength than speed. That was how she had the advantage.

"There's something else you should know." Kakarot told him seriously, looking in the direction of the battle. "After you were turned into chocolate, Bra became a Super Saiyan." Goten's eyes widened and his jaw fell slack. "A pretty powerful one, too. But Bulma told us that she's unstable."

His eyes narrowed. "You mean she can't control her power, or her mind?"

"Mentally, emotionally or physically… We're not sure." he shrugged. "All we know is that Buu's getting one hell of a beating right now…"

Pan's sudden sharp intake of breath made Kakarot's words trail off. "You're wrong, grandpa." she whispered, her eyes snapping in Bra's direction. "Buu's managed to get the upper hand again. It must have been a ki blast, because Bra's ki is dropping quickly."

Goten was gone in a second.

* * *

><p>Bra clutched her upper arm tightly, panting hard and glaring at the smug face of Majin Buu.<p>

It had taken him only a second to gain the upper hand again, somehow seeming to just… burst with new energy! How was that even possible? Bra had been so certain, _so fucking certain_, that he wouldn't be able to take the upper hand from her, that she had him backed into a corner!

She breathed deeply, trying to calm her racing heart, but little helped. Energy was fading from her far too quickly and soon enough, Bra knew that her Super Saiyan form would fade away. But that couldn't happen! Without that form, she would be at too much of a disadvantage and any hopes of taking back the upper hand would be forever gone.

What she needed was a surprise. A miracle.

And suddenly, Bra got one.

A tall and muscular figure suddenly appeared before her, crouched low and ready to pounce and glaring at Majin Buu with so much anger, so much hatred that it made her breath catch. She couldn't even see his face. All she could feel were his emotions.

"Goten…"

He was okay!

"How badly are you hurt, Bra?" he practically demanded, body tensing further when Majin Buu shifted.

His eyes were sharp and calculating, narrowing dangerously at the sick smirk on the pink bastard's face. This _thing_ had murdered his mother. His brother. His best friend! He had tried to kill Bra – or turn her into chocolate. That was not acceptable. It would never be acceptable and one way or another, Majin Buu was going to pay. He inwardly apologised to his wife, because this was no longer just her revenge. Goten knew he wouldn't be able to sit back and watch her fight against such a monster. It would tear into him. Just knowing she was right behind him, only fifty feet or so away from Majin Buu, was much too close for his liking. There should be planets, _entire fucking galaxies_ between them.

"It seems the Supreme Kai has–"

"Shut up." Goten spat, his golden aura increasing with his anger.

Bra could only stare at her husband's back in surprise.

"This is all just a game to you!" his voice was low and dark, making a shiver run up her spine. "You're taking all of these lives like it's nothing. _They're not nothing_!"

And then Goten was shooting forward with surprising speed, slamming his elbow into the back of Buu's neck, his leg whipping through the air and beating the air out of Buu's lungs when it connected with his chest. He then took a step back, only for his fist to suddenly close the distance and knock the pink alien backwards.

Bra was there to meet him, her foot smashing into his lower back, eyes wild with anger and hatred and a deep, unadulterated murderous intent filled the air. This was her miracle. Goten. Supreme Kai had brought him back to her, had saved her husband. And now with him by her side, they could do this.

She could now understand what her mother meant by it being 'a rush' when she and Vegeta fought side by side. It was so thrilling being so intune, so in–sync, with your husband. It was heart warming and made her body tingle how he was right there to back her up, yet not underestimating her abilities in the slightest. They moved like they were one. Whenever she dealt a blow to Majin Buu, Goten was there to double the pain, to make sure he didn't have a chance to regenerate.

But the thing that got to her the most was the proud look he sent her way after she had delivered a devastating kick to the face. He was proud of her.

That alone made her forget about her injuries, her low energy.

The feeling was back, the one that told her, _screamed at her_, that she had to prove herself to Goten. She was fighting alongside of the man she admired, who she loved. Now was not a time to be acting or feeling weak.

"Who'd have thought," Majin Buu wheezed as he finally managed to create some distance, "that somebody would actually want you after I was done with you?" he smirked viciously, his energy returning as he felt Babidi whispering to him in his mind. "Tell me, Goten." his smirk widened. "Does she feel as good for you as she did for me?"

Something in the dark haired half–Saiyan snapped and with an angered yell, he seemed to disappear, startling Bra for a moment until he reappeared in front of Majin Buu, his hands flat against his stomach.

"You may have taken her _against her will_," he spat through gritted teeth, ki gathering in the palms of his hands, "but Bra has _always_ been _mine_."

And with that he released the gathered ki, increasing the intensity, the power, as it ripped through Majin Buu's body, tearing him in half. His body was shaking with the strain of such a powerful attack, as it had only been around half an hour since he was changed back into his own body, but Goten refused to think about that. All he thought about was finishing the bastard off before anything else could leave that vile mouth of his. It seemed Bra understood as she phased by his side and they incinerated the top and bottom half of Buu's body.

When they were done and nothing was left, Bra turned slowly, gazing up at Goten with such a soft, tender look, that he felt himself calming down, felt his murderous rage simmering until it was easily ignored. It certainly helped when she stepped towards him once, seeming unsure and hesitant, like she was expecting Majin Buu to somehow return, but after only a second, Bra was leaping into his arms, her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, holding him tightly.

"I thought…" she quietly sobbed. "I thought you were gone."

"You should know by now that it's not so easy to get rid of me." he chuckled softly, holding her just as tightly. "I told you, Bra. I'll never leave you alone."

It made him so happy when she leaned back and smiled brightly at him, her face lighting up.

The old Bra was revealing herself now that the battle was finally over.

He couldn't help but kiss her. He'd been so worried that she was gone, that Majin Buu was going to take her too, but thankfully the Gods were on his side. And Bra returned his kiss with equal passion, understanding so very clearly what he was thinking as her hands fisted in his hair and she leaned impossibly closer.

Somebody cleared their throat, making her end the kiss quickly and stare at the person in shock.

Or should she say an _entire fucking army_?

Right at the front of them all was her father and mother, the former scowling whilst the latter was smirking. That scowl faded slightly when Goten lowered Bra back onto her feet, although his hand lingered on her back for a moment, almost as though he was unwilling to let go of her.

"It seems the plan wasn't necessary at all." Bulma told them proudly.

"He's gone." Bra stated quietly, like she still couldn't believe it. "Majin Buu is–"

"No!" Pan yelled, cutting her off. When they turned to face her, she was staring up at the sky in fear, her hand raising and pointing upwards. "He's not dead…"

Bra's head snapped upwards, her eyes widening at the sight. It was like… pink clouds. Or was it smoke? She couldn't even tell! All she could tell was that now that Pan had pointed it out, she could sense the darkness, the seemingly endless darkness that made her feel like she was drowning. Damn it! They had let their guard down. But it shouldn't even be possible that Majin Buu was still alive! They had completely incinerated his body and made sure not to–

His antenna.

At one point, whilst ragging him around like he was a doll, it had snapped off and he hadn't bothered to regenerate. Bra had simply thought that he couldn't.

_Damn it_!

The pink cloud suddenly lunged towards the ground, towards the antenna, much too quickly for any of them to try and stop it. Bra felt her breath leave her as she watched Majin Buu reform, as she watched him pull himself to his feet with a dark, sickening chuckle.

"Fools." his chuckles grew. "You really think you can defeat me?" they stared back at him with angered determination, each of them slipping into their fighting stances. "I'll show you just a fraction of my power!"

It was like an explosion of ki blasts, the sight leaving Bra breathless – although that could have been because of Goten knocking her to the ground and shielding her, the very same way Vegeta did for Bulma. The way Kakarot did for Videl and Pan. Many attempted to protect their loved ones, to try and stop Majin Buu from hurting them as ki blast after ki blast was randomly fired.

A awful feeling washed over Vegeta as he felt another presence being torn from him.

Bulma's eyes snapped to his, filling with tears.

"Tarble." he muttered in disbelief, seeming unable to shake his shock away.

"Vegeta…" Bulma whispered with a thick voice, feeling his hidden agony like it was her own.

His head snapped up, glaring in the direction of his brother, hoping that the disgusting feeling in his gut was wrong… But it wasn't. There, laying on the ground with his faded eyes boring into the sky above, with a giant hole going through his chest, was Tarble.

No…

His brother.

Vegeta shot to his feet, a murderous rage taking over him as he blasted towards Majin Buu.

"Vegeta!" Bulma screamed as she turned onto her stomach, trying to stand. "Don't!"

Kakarot was right behind him, flanking the Saiyan king with his own unforgiving, dark expression and it was at that moment that Bulma realised something, that she felt two minds leaving her own – having been connected through friendship, through the fact that she had often bantered with them during boring meetings with her mind ability.

She covered her mouth, barely able to hold back the cry that was trying so hard to leave her.

Bardock and Raditz.

Too many lives were being lost. They were losing too many of their friends and family!

"Mom!" Bra cried, noticing the older woman standing up and about to blast off. "Where are you going?"

Her head turned in her daughter's direction, eyes narrowed and jaw clenched tightly. "After Babidi."

"You cannot do that, Bulma." she whirled around, glaring at the two men who were now standing not too far from her. Why the hell weren't they here to protect her loved ones? Why the hell didn't they show up until it was too late? "I know that you are angry." Supreme Kai told her, hearing her thoughts. "But please understand that if you defeat Babidi, if you kill him, there is no hope in defeating Majin Buu. We need Babidi to keep him under control until we are ready to seal him away once more."

She shook her head angrily, her hand lashing out. "No! Enough is enough. You may not care, but _I do_. Too many lives are being taken. These people all have families, they have loved ones and Majin Buu is snatching them away effortlessly. And the person controlling him is Babidi! I want to deal with him myself."

Supreme Kai frowned. "Bulma–"

"_You don't understand_!" she cried, more tears filling her eyes. "These are _my_ loved ones. These are _my friends_. _My son_ is laying somewhere in ditch, _dead_, because of that monster! Do you," Bulma paused, clutching tightly at her chest, "do you even know how badly that hurts? It's agonising. I felt him being torn away from my mind and my heart. I couldn't save him. I couldn't…" she sobbed. "_I couldn't save my own son_!"

His eyes saddened, his frown deepened. "And you will have your justice. You have my word. But there is a plan that we must follow, Bulma. If not, then Majin Buu will be unstoppable and will be able to wreak havoc across the entire universe. Other mothers will lose their children who bravely fight against Buu to try and stop him. Do not let your son's efforts, his death, be in vain. I promise you that Trunks will have his justice."

But she slowly shook her head, her eyes squeezing shut for a moment until she released a long exhale, straightening up and looking down at the Supreme Kai with pained eyes. "Nothing will ever make this right." Bulma whispered. "My son is dead and nothing in this universe will ever make that right. There will never be enough justice for that."

Supreme Kai nodded sadly. "I know, but we can still fight for Trunks. For your other family members and friends who have fought valiantly today. We must win this battle for _them_."

As the ground shook violently once more, Bulma glanced in the direction of the battle, watching with exhausted eyes as Vegeta and Kakarot fought as one against Buu. They were ruthless, extracting all the pain they could feel onto him and forcing him to take it, because as soon as one of them attacked, the other was shortly behind.

It still was not enough.

Many cried out in fear as they leapt out of the way, desperately trying to avoid suddenly being taken out by the unstoppable bodies of Vegeta and Kakarot as they crashed into the ground, tumbling for several metres before they were finally able to stop their momentum. Booming laughter surrounded them all, making Bra glare up at Majin Buu and growl angrily – and she wasn't the only one to do so.

Kakarot seemed to have taken some damage to his spine, for as he attempted to get up, his legs gave out on him. Noticing this, Kibito wordlessly healed him, knowing that Kakarot was a powerful warrior they needed. Vegeta was dazed by the looks of things, but other than that, he had no trouble standing. However, he didn't jump straight back into battle. Through their connection, Bulma could sense her mate going through every possible outcome, going through strategy after strategy. Whilst she was more intelligent in the labs, Vegeta's intelligence on the battlefield completely outclassed her own. He could think many steps ahead of the enemy.

But not Majin Buu.

And it was angering Vegeta to no end. He couldn't predict a single move of Buu's.

Where was Babidi? It was like he had gone into hiding! Every plan Vegeta came up with, every single strategy, had too many risks to go through with them. He couldn't have anyone else dying. The only people – _things_ – that were going to die, would be Majin Buu and his master, Babidi.

Teeth gritting together, Vegeta phased over to his mate and daughter, the latter standing no more than fifteen feet away from the former.

Also, the Supreme Kai and Kibito were stood right behind Bulma.

Which was exactly what Vegeta needed.

"Take them away from here." Vegeta rasped as he looked over his shoulder at the Supreme Kai. "Take my family, take my people and go somewhere safe."

Bra's eyes widened and by her side, Goten froze with shock. "Daddy, no!"

Bulma ran forward and embraced Vegeta tightly. "V–Vegeta, _please_, let us help you! You can't go up against Majin Buu by yourself. It's suicide!"

Vegeta ignored the comment and wrapped one arm around Bulma, surprising everyone as he returned her embrace. Not a single one of them had ever seen their king show such affection, even if it was only a small amount. He then pretty much floored them all when he motioned with his free hand for Bra to come over. Her eyes were shining brightly with tears as she pressed her face into his chest. The feeling of his arm holding her caused Bra's entire body to shake as she held back her sobs.

It made him inwardly smile as he noticed that this was not the 'new' Bra. It was the old Bra.

"Please don't do this." Bulma whispered. "We can defeat him if we fight together, as one."

The Saiyan King looked at his people. As he did, his eyes fell on those who had lost their lives – some he hadn't even noticed until just now. His son and his younger brother. Kakarot's mate, eldest son, brother and father. Each in their own little way, their deaths affected him. His son… his brother… they were both connected to him via minds and through blood. He had come to look at Gohan as one of his own, even if he would never admit it. As for Chi–Chi, he may not have been able to stand her screeching, but because of his bond with Bulma, he could feel her pain at the loss of her best friend. The girl was like a younger sister to Bulma and he couldn't even begin to wonder what Kakarot was currently feeling. Vegeta didn't want to.

It was the reasoning behind his choice. No, it was what solidified his decision.

"No." he said firmly, tightening his hold slightly. "Too many lives have already been lost. I will end this and I shall do it by myself."

Bra squeezed her eyes closed as she cried out desperately, "Daddy! I c–can't… I can't let you fight that monster by yourself!"

Vegeta closed his eyes as he, for the first time ever, allowed the two women to feel his emotions, to hear his thoughts and know his feelings. Bulma felt them all the time, but not as powerfully as he was allowing them both to feel now.

"Daddy…"

"Vegeta…"

The two were stunned. Who would have guessed that Vegeta, the King of all Saiyans and the proudest man they had ever met would admit he loves them?

Just as their eyes widened, Vegeta tapped the two on the back of their necks and held them tightly to make sure they wouldn't fall to the ground.

"Forgive me." Vegeta said in a barely audible whisper. Then, the king looked up at the Supreme Kai, who looked equally as stunned as Bulma and Bra had been. No doubt it was because he could also read minds. Vegeta's voice was much stronger as his scowl returned. "Take them and go."

The Supreme Kai nodded but as Kibito stepped forward, he watched Vegeta warily. "What are you planning on doing?"

"You will see when the time comes." Vegeta turned his back on everyone as he watched the area for any signs of Buu. "Kakarot, I want you to protect them." Kakarot felt something in his chest clench as his friend, in his own way, was saying he trusted him to look after the two women who meant everything to him, since he would no longer be able to. "Now get out of here!"

Many chanted for him, whilst others yelled their 'good lucks'. Vegeta tried not to focus on the stares he was receiving from those who personally knew him.

"Goten." he spoke up just before the younger Saiyan had been about to join Kibito and the Supreme Kai. When Goten looked at him curiously, yet sadly at the same time, Vegeta closed his eyes. "Make sure that Bra does not do anything reckless. As she is the next in line, she will become queen, meaning _you_ will be the next king. Do not mess up."

Goten couldn't help but smirk. "Thanks, Vegeta. I hadn't really thought of that. But… What do I do? I don't know the first thing about being royalty, let alone becoming _king_!"

Of course he didn't. It was supposed to be Trunks. And his son would have done a fine job. However, given that Trunks had trusted Goten completely with his life… "You will figure it out."

He wasn't too sure, but didn't want to burden Vegeta with the thought of possibly destroying the empire. So instead he grinned as brightly as possible, telling him it would be 'no problem' (for some reason it seemed to upset Vegeta, as his scowl reappeared and seemed much deeper than ever), before joining the others.

"Good luck, Vegeta." Kakarot murmured sadly, feeling grief hitting him hard once again. "I'll miss you, friend."

He gave his last, infamous 'hn', his smirk hidden due to his back being turned. "Sentimental clown."

And then they were gone.

* * *

><p>Man, her head was killing!<p>

Bra groaned and held a hand to her head as she slowly sat up, wondering just when the hell she had been knocked out. One moment, she had been talking to–

No.

Her eyes were wide with horror as they snapped open and when Bra realised that she didn't recognise her surroundings, tears filled her eyes.

_No_!

"Daddy…"

"Bra?"

It took everything to hold back her sudden need to sob. "Leave me alone, Pan." It wasn't fair of her, she knew that. Not only had she lost her father, but Pan had also lost hers.

"He's not gone." the dark haired Saiyan whispered. "I can still feel his energy, even from here. But… With the way he's going…"

Bra squeezed her eyes shut. "Why is he doing this? We could have fought him together."

Another presence suddenly joined them and when Bra opened her eyes once more and looked up, she saw that it was her mother. Her eyes were glassy, her chest, shoulders and chin were quivering – both signs that Bulma was trying her best to hold back her tears and cries. But it was just that one look that told Bra everything. Vegeta had shut Bulma out. He was truly planning on dying, wasn't he? To save everyone, he was planning on dying.

"This isn't everyone from Earth!" somebody yelled and it took her a moment to realise it was Kakarot. Following the yells, she found both him and Goten angrily staring at the Supreme Kai and Kibito. "There should be millions of people left. What are you playing at?"

The Supreme Kai nodded in agreement, giving him such an expression that it practically screamed for Kakarot to try and calm himself, to try and understand. "Vegeta's blast will not touch the parts of the Earth that the other humans are on. Whilst they will certainly feel an aftershock, they will not be harmed."

Blast? Aftershock?

Shakily, Bra stood up, her eyes narrowing on the four who were stood in the centre. What were they talking about? What blast? It had to be a pretty big one if it would cause an aftershock to hit the entire planet!

"That's not the point!" Goten argued. "Vegeta wanted us to protect everyone! He–"

"You're talking about him…" Bra shook her head, seeming utterly exhausted as everyone turned to stare at her in shock, "like he's already dead."

Goten frowned. "Bra–"

"He's not dead!" she suddenly yelled at him, features flushing red with anger. "My dad isn't going to be killed by that bastard! Do you understand me, Goten? He's going to defeat him and then he's going to come back here. He's coming back to us!"

"He–"

"Perhaps it will be best to show the girl what Vegeta is planning." Kibito grumbled, pausing for a moment as he held out his hand. Many eyes narrowed as it turned out to be a crystal ball and after a flick of his fingers, it grew in size. Tossing it into the air, it surprised Bra when it hovered instead of crashing to the ground. "That way, she will understand fully the sacrifice that her father is making."

Dark eyes flashed to Kibito's, staring at him in outrage. "Is that a wise choice?" Kakarot snapped. "What you're going to be showing–"

The image on the enlarged crystal ball caused Bra's breathing to hitch before it quickened. There was an almost animalistic sound that reached her ears and it took a few seconds for Bra to realise it had been her. It was the sound of her crying out.

Kakarot's words were cut off and pain enveloped him as he caught sight of the screen.

It was too late.

As Bra fell to the ground, her hands came up to her head and grabbed fistfuls of hair. Her entire body was shaking as the image of what she had just seen replayed in her head, as she felt yet another presence being ripped from her mind, from her soul.

Her father, the almighty King of all Saiyans, was dead.

Just like that.

"No!" Bra screamed hysterically as she slammed her fist into the ground.

She didn't care that the survivors and what was left of the army were watching her. She didn't care that she was acting weak, foolish and sentimental. Her father… her _daddy_ was gone.

"Bring him back!" she screamed loudly as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Before anyone could stop her, Bra shot forward and slammed the palm of her hand against the crystal ball. As she repeatedly slapped the screen, Bra also cried out the words 'bring my daddy back!' over and over again, breaking the hearts of even the fiercest of warriors.

"Bra," Bulma spoke over the lump in her throat.

The queen walked over to her daughter and watched with tear–filled eyes as Bra fell to her knees when her legs could no longer hold her weight. Bulma also knelt down on the ground and pulled Bra into a fierce hug, her tears finally falling and joining Bra's as they cried.

"It's okay," Bulma whispered, though she didn't believe her own words.

Then, a small smile played along her lips as she rubbed Bra's back in circular motions. There was always one thing that had cheered Bra and Trunks up when they were children. So, not knowing what else to do, Bulma started to sing. "_Hush little baby mama's near, to brush your hair and calm your fears._" Bulma squeezed her eyes closed as she held back her sobs. She had to be strong for her daughter, the only family she had left. "_To kiss your cheek and hold your hand, till you drift off to sleepy land._"

Feeling Bra calm slightly in her arms, Bulma closed her eyes again as her tears continued to fall. "_To help you count those little white sheep, and sing you songs till you're asleep._" By now, Bulma's voice was nothing more than a whisper as she tightened her hold on Bra. "_To tell you tales of K__–__Kings __and Queens, of Jack and Jill and wonderful things."_

A hand on Bulma's shoulder caused her to look up and she tried her best to smile as Pan looked down at her and Bra. There were tears in Pan's eyes as she knelt down beside them and rested her cheek on Bra's back before she wrapped her arms around the two of them. Closing her eyes and biting her lip, the dark haired girl felt her heart break as she felt Bra's shaky breaths, as she heard her softly crying.

"_So snuggle up and h__–__hold me tight, and dream sweet dreams all t__–__through the night. And every night when the sun goes down, you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town._" Bulma whispered as she let it all go and cried.

Vegeta…


	28. Need A New Plan

**Chapter 28 – Need A New Plan**

It felt like forever had passed until Kakarot yelled out angrily, before many other warriors began screaming at the screen. None of them wanted to look up though they knew deep down that they had to.

Bulma looked up first and felt as though she was going to be sick as she saw pink blobs of what appeared to be chewing gum dragging across the floor, all coming together in the centre. When Pan reluctantly gazed at the screen, she did so whilst already knowing what was happening for just before her grandpa began yelling in outrage, she had felt that spike in ki, the one warning her of a dangerous presence. Even from her place on the Sacred World of the Kais (somewhere mere mortals were not supposed to be!), she could feel Majin Buu's energy.

The Sacred World of the Kais was not meant for mortals such as themselves. It was only for Kais and even then, according to Kibito, many other Kais were not given permission to step foot onto the planet. Since Majin Buu's previous awakening, the only Kai who had been living on the planet was the Supreme Kai and his bodyguard, Kibito. To have so many humans and Saiyans on his sacred world meant that he trusted them and wanted to keep them safe, wanted to keep his promise to Vegeta.

Glancing down at the trembling girl in front of her, Pan bit her lip. Bra looked utterly traumatised at the loss of her father. They had always been so close and despite his being king, Vegeta had always made time for her. If she needed something, he made sure she had it. If she needed some_one_, he was there. In his own, Vegeta–like way, he loved his daughter dearly. Growing up, there had been no one Bra trusted more than her father.

Eyes narrowing, Bulma tightened her hold on Bra, her mind racing to try and come up with a plan. It was harder now without Vegeta's battle–ready mind in her own and whilst also trying to come up with a new strategy, Bulma was also trying to ignore how she felt so very alone, how she only felt like half a person now. Vegeta was her other half – there was no doubt in Bulma's mind that she wasn't supposed to be with anyone else. There was only and would only be Vegeta.

An uncomfortable weight settled on her chest and it took everything in Bulma not to respond to it. It took everything in her not to clutch her chest and cry out, to scream her pain and sorrow and heartbreak because her husband was now dead. Just like that.

Oh, he had definitely gone out with a bang. He hadn't died cowardly – quite the opposite, actually. Vegeta had gone down swinging to the very end, had taunted and yelled at Buu before summoning all of his energy and creating one of the largest blasts any of them had ever seen before. It was so great, so powerful, that it had destroyed his own body and killed him.

And now Majin Buu was regenerating like it meant nothing.

Bulma refused to allow her husband's death to be in vain.

Gently handing Bra over to Pan, who nodded once in understanding, Bulma stood up and made her way over to the screen, her eyes narrowing once more in deep thought. Kakarot was right behind her and a second later, Goten was, too. It struck her hard that they were the only warriors left who stood a chance against Buu. Anybody else and it would be suicidal. Not even the androids could go up against him – they had been stationed to protecting the innocent humans, to taking them underground. If anything was to happen to the planet Earth, they would enter the spaceships and leave. They would all go to Vegeta–sei.

"What's the plan?" Kakarot asked when Bulma turned to face them, chewing on her thumb nail. "The same as before?"

She shook her head. "That won't work now without Vegeta."

There was a vicious lashing at her heart with her words.

Both Vegeta and Trunks were gone. Her husband and her son. Along with them, her friends and family. How was she supposed to tell Gure that her husband would not be returning to her? How was she supposed to explain to an entire fucking empire that their king and next in line were both dead?

No. For now, she needed to focus on destroying Buu. Bulma needed to focus on taking him out once and for all.

During her thoughts, Pan managed to soothe Bra enough for the girl to get a hold of herself, to finally stand up and make their way over to the group of three. Goten took her hand the second his eyes saw hers, saw her expression. Her eyes were bloodshot, face was tearstained almost as badly as Pan's. Kakarot offered Pan a small smile, one she answered by standing closer to him and seeking his comfort. Using her senses, she could tell that her mother was somewhere in the back, but right at that moment in time, she was grieving. Pan didn't want to disturb her.

"Okay." Bulma dropped her hand to her side, giving them all a serious look and noticing it, Kibito and Supreme Kai listened carefully. "I've got a plan, but it's risky. You all need to remember that I'm of more use in the labs, not on the battlefield."

Bra gave a sad smile. Her father was the one who could come up with hundreds of strategies at once.

"Kibito, I want you to use your transmission on Bra." despite not liking being ordered around, the tall man nodded once.

"Why Kibito?" Goten questioned in confusion. "I could just use my instant transmission."

Yes, Bulma had already worked out Goten's gift. "You're not as skilled as Kibito is with instant transmission, Goten. Plus, you need to focus on the ki. If you use your gift on yourself and Bra, then you're going to take yourselves straight to Buu – which isn't what I want just yet. Kibito doesn't need to focus on anyone's ki. All he has to do is think of the place." she glanced up at the man. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Kibito nodded once. "You are. There are limits to my instant transmission, however. I cannot transport an entire populace."

Kakarot grimaced. "Which is why you didn't bring everyone from Earth here." Supreme Kai gave him a nod. "Sorry for snapping."

"Anyway," Bulma continued, "Kibito, I need you to use your transmission on Bra. Goten, I need you to use yours on myself, Pan and Kakarot."

Their eyes widened.

She nodded once.

"We're going straight for Buu. Bra, I need you to do something important for me."

* * *

><p>The moment they were back on Earth, the sight of the battlefield almost had Bulma falling to her knees. She could feel him. She could feel Vegeta. She could feel his energy all around her, the leftover ki from his powerful attack. It was like he was right next to her, surrounding her completely.<p>

Bulma smiled sadly.

'_I'll protect our daughter, Vegeta. I promise. No matter what it takes, I'll make sure she's safe._'

If she didn't, she'd never be able to face him in the afterlife.

"Bulma?"

Majin Buu dropped onto the ground once he was fully regenerated, smirking evilly and cracking his joints.

Her stance strengthened. "I'm ready."

They each got into their positions. Kakarot and Goten by her sides whilst Pan had her back to Bulma's, each of them guarding their queen.

Vegeta and Trunks were the ones who were supposed to watch her back when she used this certain technique and if not them, then Kakarot, Gohan and Raditz. However, as much as it pained her to admit to such a thing, only one of them was alive now. Only Kakarot remained of the five fierce warriors who had once protected her with their lives.

A dark, ominous feeling began to creep into the air as Bulma focused on Buu, as her arms spread out at her sides and her hair began to float around her as her ki grew. Not only ki, either, but also her mind power. Her gift.

"This ends_ now_." she spat.

Kakarot, Goten and Pan held protective stances by her sides and back, unaffected by her mind controlling technique since she was focusing completely on Majin Buu. They were all ready and wishing for it all to end soon. They had already lost so much, lost so many people they cared about.

Buu froze, his red eyes widening.

"Now!" Bulma yelled.

And suddenly, a female Super Saiyan was appearing out of nowhere with the help of Kibito, a sword held tightly in her hands as she swung it through the air, slicing it across Majin Buu's chest as though he was nothing but butter.

"That sword!" Goten gasped and it felt like his chest was aching viciously.

Pan had to force herself not to start crying. "T–That's… Trunks… It's his sword!"

The queen didn't make a comment, though her pain was just as great. A second later, however, her eyes widened. "Bra, look out!" she screamed. "Babidi has shut me out of Buu's mind! I can't control him any longer!"

A pained gasp caused them all to tense as Bra was thrown across the clearing, landing on her side as she skidded across the ground. She barely even felt the pain of stones and debris cutting into her skin. They didn't matter. As she used her ki to stop herself, they all noticed how Majin Buu regenerated his injury.

"Bastard!" Bra growled as she shot straight back up, adjusting her hold on Trunks's sword as she once again swung it through the air.

"Goten, back her up!"

He shot over to Bra, sending Majin Buu soaring across the sky with a surprise kick to the face.

"Kibito," he appeared by her side in an instant, waiting to hear her next plan, "please stay here and heal them if something happens. The plan to use my controlling technique isn't working – like I said, it's too risky with Babidi still alive and it's still not perfected."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do?"

What was she going to do? Well, the previous plan of her taking over Majin Buu's mind had failed and after sending a glance over in Pan's direction and seeing the girl shaking her head, she sighed with annoyance. Babidi was using his new little trick to keep himself hidden from them. How the hell could he even do that? Pan was a tracker! Then again, he was a powerful wizard. There was no telling just how much he could fuck with them all. However, Babidi had to come out of hiding sooner or later and Bulma was determined to be the one who found him when that happened. Right now their main concern was Majin Buu. If they defeated him, though, what would happen to Babidi? Would he try to make a run for it? Would he disappear completely? There were too many risks and dangers.

An idea suddenly struck her and she felt like such an idiot for forgetting about _him_.

"I have a plan." Bulma hissed, turning to face Kakarot. "Kakarot, take care of my daughter whilst I'm gone. I'm trusting you with her life."

He nodded quickly. "Bulma, take Pan with you."

She didn't even question him, simply grabbed Pan's arm before the girl could argue and dragged her away from the battle.

Kakarot nodded once to Kibito before also shooting forward, stopping what could have been a fatal blow to Goten's chest with ease. Catching Majin Buu's foot, he slammed him into the ground, though quickly jumped backwards to avoid a punch to the face. His eyes narrowed. It seemed he could elongate his arms just like Namekians could. Then again, Majin Buu reminded him of chewing gum right down to his colouring, so it shouldn't have been too surprising.

With an angered yell, Kakarot powered up to his maximum and once Goten had kneed Majin Buu in the gut, once Bra had delivered a blast to the face, he darted forward and went all out, putting Buu on the defensive. He threw punch after punch, kick after kick. Each blow grew more powerful until it felt as though the planet was shaking with each attack.

On the ground, Goten, Bra and Kibito watched with their bodies tensed, the first two preparing to pounce the moment Kakarot lost his upper hand whilst Kibito waited to heal either of the three who needed it. He was not a warrior, he was a healer. A protector. It was his job to protect the Supreme Kai. Right now, however, his orders were to protect the five that were brought to Earth from the Sacred World of the Kais. The others who remained on the sacred planet would be protected by the Supreme Kai – a great honour to them.

Suddenly, Kakarot was flung backwards and crashed through a cliff, grunting in pain and when Goten flew up to meet Buu halfway with a powerful punch, he too was thrown away like he was nothing more than a pesky fly.

Buu sighed. "This has gotten so very boring."

"Don't forget about me, you bastard!" Bra spat and swung the sword down on him once more, her eyes narrowing as she literally cut him in half.

Trunks's technique. He had taught her that long ago on the small chance that she needed to use a sword.

The second she was a fair distance away from him, Bra let go of the sword and quickly gathered her ki, trying her best to make the blast as powerful as possible. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Kibito immediately flash over to Goten, healing him as quickly as possible.

It seemed like it would only be her for a while if the look he shot her way meant anything.

Around her, Bra could feel the leftover ki of her father and like Bulma had, she gave a small smile. Like her mother, it felt as though he was stood right next to her.

For him. For her daddy, she was going to end the pink freak.

"Die!" she yelled, the ki all but exploding out of her and shooting straight for Majin Buu.

Much to her surprise, the leftovers of her father's ki seemed to gravitate towards her, seemed to merge with her own, giving her a boost. Again, she smiled softly. No, she was not alone. Goten and Kakarot may be out for now, but that didn't mean she was alone.

'_Don't let him win._'

"I won't." Bra repeated the words she had growled to her father the time Babidi tried to take over her mind. The boost in her power was dramatic, it was effective. Her own ki was no longer a pale blue as it instead became a deeper blue, as hints of purple began to show in it along with crimson and gold. The gold signified the Super Saiyan. Crimson was her father's life energy.

Purple was…

"_Galick Gun_!"

The purple energy surrounded her, sounding like electricity and made a harsh, bright light almost blind Kibito below her as he transported himself and Goten further away, out of danger. Having the energy surrounding her made her feel safe. Assured. There was no way that this attack could fail! It was one of her father's ultimate attacks! He had taught her it at the age of fourteen, though she hadn't truly mastered it until Vegeta began training her much more harshly, until after she returned from being tortured by Majin Buu.

Pieces of debris and the ground far beneath her crumbled and lifted high into the air, reacted to the harsh energy that was being summoned and used. Bra vaguely heard Majin Buu's scream of pain, but her mind was too preoccupied with getting this right, with finishing the job her father had started. After all, it hadn't gone unnoticed how Majin Buu certainly didn't have as much energy as he once did, though Pan had warned them all that he could easily require more somehow. They couldn't allow him to have even a second to take a breather, to regain his lost energy.

With one last burst of energy, Bra squinted and her entire body felt as though it was on fire as it was pushed way beyond its limits. Her body screamed its protests, demanding that she stop, but she couldn't. Bra had to see this through. She had to stop Majin Buu.

When the blast left her hands, it took everything in her just to remain floating in the sky, feeling utterly spent and like she hadn't even a drop of energy left. Her Super Saiyan form drained out of her, her golden aura disappearing and her blonde hair turning blue once more, dropping around her and swaying in the wind.

There was no sign of Buu.

Did that mean it was all over? Was he dead? Bra glared up at the sky, her left eye closing at the sudden headache that hit her and panting hard, but she saw no pink clouds. The sky was surprisingly clear despite everything that had gone on. Glancing downwards she saw there were no traces of Majin Buu down on the ground, either.

So he was really–

Suddenly, her world was spinning and pain exploded from her side.

"You're all so foolish!" a harsh voice laughed. "You cannot kill me! I am immortal."

Buu slammed her into the ground and a second later, his foot was slamming into her chest. If the air hadn't been ripped from her lungs, she would have screamed.

And then suddenly, the pain disappeared, making Bra look up with unfocused blue eyes and what she saw made them go wide.

Standing in front of her protectively was her big brother in his Super Saiyan form. He seemed much bigger than usual, but there was no denying that it was him.

"T–Trunks?"

How was he alive?

"No."

That voice…

It wasn't Trunks!

It was… "Broly?"


	29. Our Only Option

**Chapter 29 – Our Only Option**

"T–This energy is so…" Pan gasped, stumbling backwards into the wall. "You _can't_ be serious!"

Bulma didn't even glance at her, keeping her eyes locked with the dark set inside of the cell. "Broly, you're our only chance right now." he raised an eyebrow, lowering his folded arms. "You care about Bra, don't you?" there was no reply other than the dangerous narrowing of his eyes. "I know you can feel Majin Buu's presence. And I know you can feel Bra."

"The brat has gone up against him, hasn't she?" he shook his head and scoffed. "I told her she wouldn't stand a chance."

"And I think she knows that now." Bulma stated slowly, pulling a key out of her armour. Stealing it from the guard had been easy considering they were all frightened about what was happening outside to worry about what was going on _inside_. "We're losing. Horribly. Many lives have been lost."

Broly laughed loudly. "What makes you think I care?"

"Because if we don't do something, my daughter is going to be next and that's not an option." she spat, noticing how she instantly caught his attention. "Bra is still fighting Buu, Broly. Right this second. She even unlocked the legendary and she still doesn't stand a chance. What we need is somebody with an endless supply of energy – somebody like you."

"You _do_ remember what happened the last time you set me free, don't you?"

She closed her eyes, her eyebrows knitting together. "I do. Believe me, I remember. But I've been working on my mind controlling abilities so hard since then. If you manage to get to the battlefield in less than ten minutes, I can control you and stop you from going on a rampage." he seemed disbelieving, watching her through narrowed eyes. "Please, Broly. I've already lost my husband and son as well as many others I love. I can't lose Bra, too."

His eyes widened a fraction. "The king is dead?"

A vicious whip suddenly lashed at her heart. "…He is."

"Which means there is nobody out there who is capable of distracting Majin Buu if Bra is struggling and needs to get away." Bulma nodded shakily. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "And right now, her energy is rapidly beginning to fade." again, she nodded. "Get me out of here."

Bulma did so without a moment of hesitation and the second the ki restraint was shut off, Broly could feel power rushing through his veins, could feel that certain insanity coming back to him, although it wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be. Perhaps that was because he wasn't around so much violence and destruction? It didn't matter. He'd be back to his insanity and lack of control the moment he reached the battlefield.

Stepping out of the cell that had been his home for many years now, Broly clenched his fists and glanced down at Bulma and Pan, his eyes narrowing on the latter. There was a small voice in the back of his mind that was whispering to him that he knew her from somewhere, that he knew those eyes. Not only the colour, but the shape too.

A taller feminine body stepped in front of a trembling Pan, watching Broly warily. "Videl's daughter. You remember Videl, right?"

It suddenly came back to him, memories were flashing in his mind so harshly that it was disorientating and made him a little dizzy. Vaguely, Broly could recall crash landing on Earth, in the middle of a city. He could recall being surrounded and feeling different emotions being shoved right at him. Uncertainty. Worry. Anger. Fear. Oh the fear had been so very intoxicating to him back then. Broly had taken a deep breath and soaked up as much of the fear as possible before attacking.

However, before he had been able to kill a single person, a small body was landing in front of him, yelling at him to pick on somebody his own size. Amusing to say the least considering she was a tiny little thing. Short hair, royal blue eyes, but despite her pathetic, weak way of looking, Broly had seen how she held herself. A warrior. That girl had been a warrior. So, thinking it would be a challenge, he had attacked, the voices chanting in his mind to destroy, to cause pain and destruction. Broly could never remember how long he had been attacking for before a much stronger warrior took him out, the golden aura of the boy clashing with his own. And if he hadn't been excited before, then he had definitely been then. Not only was the kid a Super Saiyan, but he was also the child of Kakarot. Oh his blood had been boiling with the challenge and the whispers in his mind became yells.

After almost killing them all, it had been both Vegeta and Bulma who managed to finally stop him. The queen had protected her king by focusing entirely on Broly's mind, by completely silencing those angered yells. She had kept him under control long enough for Vegeta to restrain him to this very cell.

Since then, he had somewhat come to terms with the fact he was not allowed to kill Kakarot. Shame, because he was an annoying bastard. During his time in his cell, Kakarot had come by to visit him and for some reason, had tried to become _friends_ with him, offering him meat and other foods such as that, saying that Saiyans needed to be well fed.

Such an annoying bastard.

"I remember her." he nodded once, though soon changed the subject when he felt Bra's ki spike. "Control my mind now and I will be there in less than ten minutes."

Pan grabbed onto Bulma, her eyes wide. This man's ki… It was dark. A disgusting, murky green colour and she could already feel that he had the potential to become much darker. She didn't even want to know how her mother knew the man. What was his name again, Broly? Perhaps one day, Pan would ask her mother the story behind it, but not right now.

"Are you sure, Bulma?" she whispered, her eyes fixing warily on Broly's features. He didn't seem like much, but appearances could be deceiving. Take Majin Buu for example. He didn't look like much – looked rather freaky, actually. Bra was also much stronger and more powerful than she appeared, too. "You haven't got a lot of energy left."

When she nodded once, Broly lowered himself to her height and Bulma placed her hand on his forehead, closing her eyes and focusing hard on his mind. It was certainly a lot better than the last time she visited him. Much calmer. However, it wasn't perfect. Like she had told him, the technique she was about to use would last no longer than ten minutes for several different reasons. One of them being that Trunks was not there to help her with it like he had with Bra. Yes, pretty much all she could do right now with so little energy, was put up walls in Broly's mind to block out the yelling and insanity.

"Ten minutes." Bulma reminded him, slowly lowering her hand. "After then, I won't be able to control your mind."

"You won't have to." Broly told her and it honestly surprised him that, when he powered up to his Super Saiyan form, he was still in complete control.

Bulma grunted and winced in pain, blood slowly trickling from her nose. "Hurry, Broly."

He was gone in a second, blasting out of the prison.

"Bulma!" Pan cried, catching the queen.

Just as she went to lean her against the wall, however, Bulma shook her head. "We need to go after him."

There was no use in arguing, so Pan shifted Bulma's arm over her shoulders and blasted off after Broly.

* * *

><p>So the girl had foolishly ignored him and gone straight after Majin Buu?<p>

Obviously, Broly was aware of the fact that others had been fighting alongside of her. That much was obvious as he reached where the battle begun and noticed many piles of dead bodies. His left eye twitched, but just as it did, the control Bulma had over his mind increased, making him focus on nothing other than getting to Bra and saving her.

He wasn't any good at sensing others by their ki. The fact Bulma was currently in his mind, however, helped. Well, that and the dead bodies he was following. This Majin Buu creature seemed just as ruthless, just as insane, as himself.

A malicious grin stretched his lips.

It had been a while since his last battle, since his last kill and Broly couldn't wait to get stuck into Majin Buu. What better way to get back into fighting than to take on a powerful opponent? It was a rush, taking on someone who had the potential of being much stronger than yourself. Broly relished challenges as they rarely ever came and when they did, he made sure to go all out.

Picking up his speed, Broly soared through the skies, his bloodthirsty grin never faltering for a second unlike the hold on his mind. It was slipping dangerously the further away he got, the more his strength came to him, but that hardly mattered anymore. He was almost there!

And then, he was at the battlefield.

The girl certainly wasn't as weak as he had thought, Broly silently admitted, watching as she threw everything she had into a final attack. Her father's, he believed it to be. There was none of the Bra he had met there. Well, her determination and anger was still there, but right at that moment in time, she seemed older than before, though younger at the same time. Her facial features seemed at least a couple of years older, whilst her body was as small as ever. The first time he saw her, Broly had believed Bra to be a fragile porcelain doll.

And when Majin Buu suddenly appeared by her side with a disgusting laugh, smacking her to the ground, that thought only increased.

Just like the chanting in his mind.

No, the girl wasn't dead. She'd get up and defend herself. Broly's eyes narrowed, his hands twitching as he realised Bra wasn't going to get up in time to defend herself and that thought was proven correct when Buu slammed his foot into her chest. The girl didn't even have the time to scream before Broly was shooting forward and smashing his fist into Buu's face.

The destruction was everything he had ever craved. The ground tore and shook around them, Majin Buu created craters every time he touched the ground! There was a scream of pain somewhere amongst the destruction, but he barely even heard it. All Broly kept seeing was the young girl behind him suffering, all he could see were her wide blue eyes widening further and features scrunched up with pain.

Not acceptable. It was rare for him to become protective of somebody – downright unthinkable. Broly hadn't even been protective of his own father after the age of eight. After he turned eight, he came to despise his father and pretty much the entire universe. All he had wanted to do was destroy everything. Why was she so different? Sometimes, there was no use in asking such pointless questions. You never got the answer you wanted.

"T–Trunks?"

So she believed him to be her brother? Wasn't he supposed to be dead? "No."

There was a moment of silence and Broly could feel her shocked stare on his back. "Broly?"

He stayed silent, waiting somewhat patiently for Majin Buu to get up. The energy continued to flood his veins and whenever large amounts of it struck him, Broly felt his body growing to make more room for that power. How the girl behind him could mistake him for Trunks was ridiculous! He'd never seen the boy before but surely they were not so easily mixed up? Surely they did not look that alike? Then again, Bra was most likely unable to see properly, her pain being too great.

"Why…" she tried to breathe through the pain. "Why are you… H–How?"

Broly's eyes snapped in a different direction, narrowing on the red–pink skinned man who was watching them with a suspicious look, his eyes narrowed. In response his own eyes narrowed. "Heal her."

It was an order and even though he didn't want to take orders from a beast such as that particular Saiyan, Kibito knew not to ignore it. How did Broly know he could heal? Just before he had ordered him to heal Bra, he had noticed Kibito healing Goten before quickly looking away and back to Majin Buu.

"Bra, once you are healed, you are to kill Babidi."

"How d–do you know…?"

"Your mother is controlling my mind." Broly stated as he lowered himself into a crouch, watching with narrowed eyes as Majin Buu finally got up. Whilst he did, Kibito appeared beside Bra and healed her before helping her stand and moving back over to Goten.

Broly refused to think about the other Saiyan laying not too far away from Goten, just in case the little bit of control slipped completely. That idiot may have been trying to make friends with him over the years, but it didn't mean it would stop the insane yelling in his mind.

Tilting his head to the side, Majin Buu watched Broly for a moment, like he was trying to figure him out and red eyes narrowed further as though confused.

He smacked the confusion right out of him. Literally.

Majin Buu didn't even have the time to blink before Broly was suddenly there once more, bringing his hands down as a double axe and slamming them into Buu's chest, crashing him into the ground.

"How about you pick on somebody your own size?"

And then his foot was slamming into Buu's chest, very much like how Buu had done to Bra.

It was the start of yet another long battle filled with bone shattering blows and such powerful ki blasts that the entire planet felt as though it was shaking.

* * *

><p>When Bulma arrived, it was safe to say she had seen better days.<p>

Her head was throbbing, her upper lip, actual lips and chin covered in blood and her body was trembling in response to the intense throbbing in her head. This was why Vegeta had never allowed her to practice on Broly. It exhausted her mind ability and always caused her great pain. That wasn't even mentioning how dangerous is was.

Collapsing beside her daughter, she brushed the hair out of Bra's sweaty, dirty face, thanking anyone who was listening for keeping her safe, mentally thanking Broly for protecting her. At that moment in time he seemed too preoccupied with causing Majin Buu pain, however. Actually, Bulma _knew_ that was all he was focusing on, because she had had a difficult time keeping control of him before whatever control she had, suddenly snapped.

"I'm okay." Bra told her softly, keeping a tight hold of Goten's hand and returning her mother's sudden embrace with one arm. "Kibito healed me."

Bulma nodded and lowered her head respectfully to said man, thanking him repeatedly for helping her.

Pan knelt down between her uncle and grandpa, taking one of their hands in both of hers. "Will they be okay?"

"They will be fine." Kibito nodded. "They must rest now, however. I have healed them of their wounds and returned their energy, but I cannot heal mental and emotional exhaustion. Kakarot's especially." his eyes narrowed a fraction, glancing to Bulma. "You must rest now, too, Bulma." just as she shook her head, Kibito placed his palm on her forehead and closed his eyes, immediately making a noise of something mixed between annoyance, disbelief and worry. "If you continue pushing yourself, you will die. The human brain is not supposed to be under such strain. You should know that better than anyone."

The arm wrapped around her tightened considerably. "I can't lose you too, mom." Bra whispered, shaking softly. "Please rest. _Please_."

It pained her hearing the beg in her daughter's voice, feeling her trembling softly in her arms. Unable to stop herself she quickly nodded and pressed a kiss to Bra's forehead, tightening her hold and whispering comforting words into her ear, telling her repeatedly that she wasn't leaving her.

She was confident that Broly would win. He had to. He was their last resort. If Broly did not win, then that meant they all lost. The entire universe. Nobody else was strong enough or had a great enough supply of energy to stop him.

"What do we do now?" Pan asked, her eyes shining with pain, sadness and worry.

"We wait." Bra told her seriously, her eyebrows furrowing. "We trust Broly and the second Babidi reveals himself, we kill him."

Pan swallowed hard before releasing the hands she was holding and shifting in her position, crossing her legs Indian style. There was a look of determination on her features, one that reminded them of the family she came from. She looked like Videl, like Gohan. She looked like Kakarot and Goten and Chi–Chi.

"If I meditate, I can focus all of my tracking abilities." she murmured to Bra, giving her a certain look.

Their previous missions. Bra nodded once. "I'll watch your back."

Whilst in meditation – no, whilst _Pan_ was in her tracker meditation, she became extremely vulnerable to the outside world. It was like her mind would leave her body and through her spirit, she would zoom through every crack and every hidden spot that her body could not. That wasn't even including the speed she could travel at whilst in the meditation. On previous missions, it was up to the rest of the team to watch Pan's back when she was using this technique. Mostly Retasu's or Goten's, but sometimes her and Trunks's, too, depending on who was paired up with who. It all depended on whose abilities would be best to use with whose.

It was a few minutes before Pan's eyebrows began to knit together, before she was scowling and growling to herself quietly. In the background, Broly and Buu were drifting further and further away from them, completely forgetting about them all as they both lost themselves in the battle and the blood lust, on who could land the deadliest blow. So far, it didn't seem like Broly was taking too much damage and was instead growing in size, more or less towering over Majin Buu now, who was already an impressive height.

Bra kept her eyes focused on Pan's angry features, watching how her eyeballs rolled beneath her closed lids. There was a faint twitch in one of her eyebrows, a clear indication that she was focusing hard on Babidi.

Not even ten minutes later, the dark haired Saiyan snapped back to herself, eyes snapping open as she quickly grabbed Bra's hand.

"We have to go to him now, before I lose his scent."

Bra's eyes widened. If Pan was tracking his scent instead of his ki, that meant that this could get deadly. It basically meant that she was mixing her Saiyan heritage with her human abilities, because he was that difficult to track. It shouldn't have surprised Bra because the moment her eyes met with Pan's, she saw the animalistic look in them. The same look many Saiyans had just before they transformed into their Oozaru forms.

"Wait, I'll–" Bulma cut herself off with a hiss of pain, clutching the side of her head.

The desperation on her mother's features stung Bra, but she forced herself to be calm. She forced herself to act the way her father would. He would want her to do that, to keep Bulma safe no matter what it took. "You'll only get in the way." she told her coldly, narrowing her eyes when Bulma's snapped up to hers. "Look at you! You're barely clinging on as it is. Kibito, make sure she doesn't follow us. Knock her out if you have to."

"Bra–"

"Don't argue with me about this." Bra snapped angrily, aware of the fact Pan was growing increasingly impatient. She was, too. "Kibito, take them all back to Supreme Kai. That way, she'll stay out of my way."

He could clearly read what she was saying, that she wanted him to keep them safe, so without another word, despite Bulma screaming at him, he and the others disappeared.

"Let's go, Bra." Pan growled, powering up to her maximum and tugging on Bra's hand, yanking her into the sky with her as she blasted off.

Bra would have used her own ki, but she was already exhausted and had to save the rest of her energy for Babidi. There was no telling how powerful he was and there was no telling just what he was capable of. The fact that he was a wizard already made her uneasy, made her wonder what sort of spells he would cast on them to keep himself safe.

The speed they were travelling at winded Pan and Bra could see clearly that she was growing frustrated with herself, that this was the maximum speed she could force herself to go. There was nothing she could do. To give up some of her energy to make themselves go faster would be too risky. Kibito may have healed her, but he had only been able to give her half of her maximum energy back, as he himself was exhausted with all the healing and instant transmissions he had been doing all day. It took a lot to transport so many warriors to the Sacred World of the Kais and he'd done the journey back and forth all day without complaint!

It felt like forever had gone by when Pan suddenly stopped in mid–air, glaring down at the space beneath them. Strange looking place, if you asked Bra. And they were both surprised that nobody had come across it, though if they had, they probably would have died, considering all of the warriors Babidi had up his sleeve, under his control.

It appeared as some sort of spacecraft, like four ovals all stuck together. Disgusting and un–stylish, though it probably did what it had to do rather well. And how did they know that it was definitely Babidi's? The idiot had a large 'M' right above the door.

"He's in there." Pan told her, her eyes narrowing. "The bottom floor of the ship."

"How many floors are there altogether?"

"I'd say six at most, if you include the entrance and the very bottom of the ship – that's where Babidi is." she answered. "Nobody else is on the ship. It's just him."

That was strange. "He's unguarded?"

Pan tilted her head to the side, focusing entirely on the ship before eventually nodding. "He sent all of his warriors out to us this morning."

"In other words," Bra practically seethed, "he underestimated us and didn't expect us to survive this long, to reach this point."

"Exactly."

"Well," the blue haired Saiyan growled, powering up to her Super Saiyan form as she gathered energy into her hand, "I think it's time Babidi came out of hiding, don't you?"

Hearing the silent warning in her friend's voice, Pan moved backwards, making sure to stay behind Bra and out of the way. Like earlier, the older Saiyan's ki dropped to a much darker colour, but Pan refused to focus on that, especially now that she finally had Babidi's location locked into her mind.

Turning her body to the side, Bra narrowed her eyes and lifted a single hand, aiming it straight for the entrance of the ship. Another one of her father's techniques, although this one had been a hell of a lot easier to pick up, to learn. The ki that was gathering burned brightly, making her now–gloveless palm tingle. Bra ignored the sensation as she finally gathered more than enough ki.

"He's panicking." Pan smirked to her. "He can see us, see _you_, and he's panicking."

"That's not surprising." she smirked in return before all amusement left her features, anger taking over as Bra finally released the attack with a loud yell of, "_Big Bang Attack_!"

It was chaotic. All of it was chaotic.

The planet shook as the attack connected with the opening of the ship, as it forced its way through the doors and down the hatchet. From then on they could only sense the destruction it caused, could only watch as the tunnel was lit up in a bright white–blue colour. That was just for a few moments, however, because not long after, everything was changing into a harsh orange–red glow. Explosion after explosion sounded, telling them of the damage the ship had taken.

The fool tried taking off, tried blasting off in his ship.

"Idiot." Bra spat, watching as the ship made the ground crumble as it started, as it ascended into the sky.

"Coward."

It was gigantic, enormous, but it was also suffering severe damage. It wouldn't go far.

Just in case, since Babidi was a wizard and most likely had ways of keeping it going until he was in safe territory, Bra and Pan exchanged glances before shifting in their positions with a single nod.

"Ka…" Pan started as she cupped her hands together.

Bra narrowed her eyes, summoning the last of her energy for yet another attack.

"me…"

Purple energy surrounded her once more, the crackle and sizzling of electricity almost deafening.

"ha… me…"

One last burst of energy flooded their veins, mixing with their adrenaline as everything around them seemed to explode, as their attacks shot out of them. Their timing couldn't have been more perfect as the attacks aligned with one another, though they were careful with keeping a safe distance between them, just in case they reacted badly to one another. There was no doubt that they would.

"_ha!"_

"_Galick Gun!"_

You didn't even need to look to know when the attacks connected. Just hearing them was enough.

Their eardrums burst with the final explosion, so much so that Bra felt blood filling her left ear. It was a disgusting feeling and the piercing sound that accompanied it almost had her clutching her head and collapsing, but she stood strong. She forced herself to. It was what her father would expect of her and she couldn't disappoint him.

The ship collapsed around them, piece after piece breaking away until all that was left of the ship, were parts. Scrap metal. Completely and utterly rendered useless.

Bra and Pan slowly descended to the ground, ignoring the pain they were feeling.

"Can you sense him, Pan?"

She was silent for a moment, tracking both his ki and his scent before she nodded once and walked over to a pitiful looking mole–man. They watched for a moment as he tried to get up, as he tried to get away, but he was pinned down by a piece of machinery. There was no escape for him.

"Pitiful." Bra murmured, gaining them his attention. His eyes were wide with fear and his body shaking terribly.

"You can't kill me!"

Her eyes narrowed. "After all you've done, you think I won't kill you? Why should I spare you?" still, her voice was no louder than a murmur, sending shiver after shiver up Babidi's spine. "You rely on Majin Buu's strength way too much, Babidi. Without him, you're no match for me. You're no match for anyone."

"If you kill me, Majin Buu will be uncontrollable!" he spat.

Emotionless mask in place, Bra raised her hand and began gathering the very last of her energy. "He's uncontrollable anyway." she told him coldly and fired the blast that killed him instantly.

It wasn't the death he deserved. He deserved to be mutilated, to be torn limb from limb until he was an unrecognisable lump. So why had Bra given him a quick death? Why had she not tortured him?

She refused to be like him.

She refused to be a monster.

* * *

><p>"Feeling tired, yet?" Broly taunted with a sadistic grin.<p>

They were both breathless, both covered in bruises and cuts and other signs of battle. Around them was yet another part of the Earth that had been destroyed by yet another battle.

"You," he panted hard in return, cracking his neck, "wish."

Broly narrowed his eyes, displeased with the pink anomaly before him. Several times, Buu had healed himself. He was definitely a worthy adversary – wait, _worthy_? Oh, Broly really did crack himself up sometimes! There was nothing worthy about this bastard.

Around ten minutes ago, something had changed in Majin Buu, in how he spoke and acted. It was like all restraints around him dropped and since then, he had been receiving no more magical power ups, which meant, unless he wanted to waste his energy, that he could not regenerate whenever he got hit. Broly was guessing that Bra and the other kid had gotten a hold of Babidi.

"Enough playing around!" Broly suddenly snapped, the insane chattering returning once more and in response, his ki exploded around him, growing. "This ends now."

"I agree." Buu growled. "It's about time I killed you!"

Broly shot forward and grabbed the back of Majin Buu's head, smashing his face into his knee repeatedly.

"Many have tried and failed." he smirked nastily, releasing Majin Buu. A second later and he was slamming the pink alien backwards over his knee, relishing in the loud, sickening crack he heard. "You will be one of many who have died by my hands."

* * *

><p>They both staggered forward, not even having the energy to fly. Every so often they would stop for a while to regain their breath, to try and overcome the painful throbbing in their heads. Their bodies ached, to the point where breathing seemed like one of the hardest things they had ever done before.<p>

Luckily, they weren't too far from the battlefield, even if it felt like it was on the other side of the planet.

Bra clutched her side, not daring to take too deep a breath just in case the agony increased. It felt like her insides were on fire! Was it a side effect of becoming a Super Saiyan? It would make sense, considering their bodies would be filled with a new, _raw_ power. They had to grow accustomed to that power, had to control it. Many times during that battle with Majin Buu, Bra had almost slipped up. Several times she had almost destroyed the entire planet with a way too powerful attack. It was the same with the first blast directed at Babidi's ship. All she had meant to do was flush him out. Since his ship was underground, it could have been catastrophic to the Earth.

"They're…" Pan panted, squinting into the distance, "entering the climax of the battle. We should… We should probably wait here for it to end. If we go now… we'll get in the way and die."

There was no doubt in her voice, so Bra nodded, dropping to the ground ungracefully. Her feet screamed in relief now that she was finally off of them. Falling backwards onto the hard, dried mud, Bra stared up at the darkening sky. Night was approaching and had been for some time now, casting shadows around them. It only vaguely occurred to her that no animals were near them, but that was most likely because of the vicious battles that had been raging. No, it wasn't most likely. It _was_ because of that. Animals would have followed their instincts and fled the moment they sensed danger.

"Bra, after this… what…" she frowned, laying down beside her friend and staring up at the sky, "What do we do now? Where do we go from here?"

Honestly? Bra had no idea. She didn't know what was going to happen to them, to Vegeta–sei, to the entire empire. Without their king and prince, everything was going to fall around them. It meant that _she_ was now the heir to the throne. Bra didn't want that. Of course, if it really came to it, she'd take the challenge of running an entire empire head on. However, she'd only be doing it for her father and Trunks – both who wouldn't want to see all of their hard work fall to shit.

What would her father do? Bra closed her eyes and tried to picture him next to her, tried to hear what he would so wisely tell her. Nothing came to mind. And when nothing came to mind, Bra felt her chest aching viciously, felt tears threatening to fill her eyes. She pushed them away.

If not her father, then what would Trunks do? He thought almost exactly like Bulma would, although there were definitely parts of Vegeta in there. Bra sighed, finally opening her eyes. They would all return to Vegeta–sei to inform the Saiyans that their king had fallen. They would mourn for a day or so, then celebrate his life and the fact he had gone down fighting. They would honour him. But… Bra didn't want any of that.

She just wanted her big brother and daddy back.

"Come on." Bra stated gruffly, pulling herself to her feet. "Even if we just get in the way, we need to keep moving. Laying here like sitting ducks will only attract danger." or vultures, but Bra refused to allow that thought to continue, especially considering all of the dead bodies on one of the many battlefields. Her brother's being one of them.

"Are you sure?" Pan grunted in pain as she stood up, stumbling after Bra. "We're–"

"Completely useless, I know, but still."

* * *

><p>The battlefield was utterly destroyed when they arrived. Not a single inch of the ground had been spared from either blood, powerful blows or ki blasts.<p>

"Up there." Pan murmured, pointing up towards two dots in the sky. "It's about to end."

"Do you know who's won?"

"You already know who's won."

Of course she did. The moment he entered the battle, Majin Buu hadn't stood a chance and when she had killed Babidi, all hope of Majin Buu's survival had been washed away.

"I'm so tired." the dark haired teen stated with a sigh.

Now wasn't the time to be admitting such things, or to fall into those feelings, but even Bra was exhausted and couldn't pretend that she wasn't. Her entire body was heavy, like something was weighing her down and her mind felt twice as bad. All those deaths… It was painful just thinking about it. Those deaths could have been prevented, those people could have been–

No, they couldn't have.

And it was agonising to admit such a thing.

"This is it." Pan suddenly told her, grabbing onto Bra's arm. "Prepare yourself!"

All they got was the aftershock, but it was still enough to send them flying and tumbling a good quarter of a mile back the way they had just came. It was still enough to burn them, to cause their already aching bodies even more pain. They clung to each other, trying their best to keep their heads down and protected. Already ringing ears rang even louder and it became increasingly hard to hold down the contents of their stomachs.

And when it ended, when they climbed to their feet on trembling limbs, booming laughter surrounded them. Insane, terrifying booming laughter.

"Shit–" Pan started to curse, but was cut off as Bra quickly pushed her to the ground, crying out in pain when a knee connected with her stomach.

Blue eyes squeezed shut as tears filled them, as she felt blood filling her mouth. Broly was lost to the darkness. She could see it in his eyes as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and lifted her up, only for his fist to slam into her face a second later.

"_Bra_!" Pan screamed desperately, trying her best to stand up.

"D–Don't…"

_Don't attract his attention to yourself!_ Bra thought with equal desperation, ignoring the tears that were streaming down her cheeks as yet another blow connected with her stomach, slamming her into the ground. Her vision blurred and it felt as though everything was in slow motion as Bra coughed up blood.

He was going to kill her.

Nothing would be able to stop him from killing her.

The sickest part about that revelation was that Bra didn't care. If she died, she'd be with her father and brother, but that meant…

That meant she'd be leaving her mother alone. She'd be leaving behind Goten.

That was not acceptable.

Suddenly, a hand was wrapping around her throat and lifting her into the air again.

Bra gasped for air pathetically, clawing at the hand that was choking her. "Are…" she tried to speak and seeing that, Broly tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing a fraction and he slowly eased up on the choking, though not enough to give her the chance to get away. "Are you… going to hurt me too, B–Broly?"

It was like something suddenly slammed into him.

"…Bra."

Confusion was obvious in his eyes as they took in her battered and bloody appearance, but what seemed to confuse him more were the tears.

"Please don't…" Bra begged, her body trembling with a sob, her voice childlike. "I don't want to be hurt again."

"You should have thought about that before facing Majin Buu."

Despite his words, Broly set her down on her feet, his intimidating height towering over her. It looked like he went to grab her shoulder when Bra stumbled for a moment, but he thought better of it and kept his hands to himself. Those hands were currently twitching and trembling, like it was taking so much effort not to continue killing and destroying.

"Thank you for saving us, Broly." Bra told him once she had her breath back. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"Spare me the bullshit." he snapped, though sent her a smirk.

She smirked in return, though frowned when Pan's question returned to her mind. "So… What now? What was my mother's deal?"

Broly seemed to be in deep thought. "…I go back to my cell."

That didn't sound fair to her. "But you just saved–"

"Until she manages to come up with a contraption that continuously drains my ki, though not enough to kill me, then I remain there. Once your mother finds a way to control my power, I will be made into one of your guards." That had been their deal. If Broly won the battle against Majin Buu and if Bulma managed to create a device similar to the one his father once owned, then he would become Bra's official, personal guard.

Turning her head to the side, Bra raised a questioning eyebrow to Pan, who seemed to be keeping her distance from Broly.

She shook her head. "Majin Buu is gone. He's dead. The blast completely destroyed every part of him and the fact Broly blasted him into the sun…"

Bra tuned out Pan's explanation, three simple words repeating themselves in her mind.

It was over.

* * *

><p>It seemed that having Bra around calmed Broly, if only slightly, so despite being low on energy, she and Pan flew with him back to the prison cells, back to the place that had been a home to him for almost seventeen years now. It upset her that he was going back there, especially <em>willingly<em>, but Bra didn't argue.

"I'm going to help her." she nodded to him determinedly. "My mother. I'm going to help her create a device that'll get you out of here."

He smirked. "You're more of a battle strategist than a scientist, even I know that and we have only spoken a few times."

Pan couldn't help but giggle from her place across the hall, still wary of being so close to a man who had almost murdered both of her parents. "He's right, Bra."

"What can I say?" she smiled tiredly. "I take after my father."

"Princess Bra!"

The shouts had her tensing, her head snapping to the side and from within his cell, Broly growled warningly. He always did that. He always did his best to scare the guards off.

"Get some medics!" one of the guards yelled, quickly making his way over to Bra. He looked so very worried. "Princess Bra, what happened? Did you defeat the monster?"

She gestured towards Broly with her head. "Ask him. He saved me." the guard looked shocked. "He saved us all." grimacing in pain for a second, Bra grabbed her side before scowling at one of the guards. "As princess, I demand that he be given a few luxuries of his choice – within reason, of course."

"Luxuries?" he questioned with wide eyes. "B–But he's a prisoner!"

"Broly has served his time." her scowl deepened. "Not to mention just saved the entire universe."

Seeing the amount of pain her best friend was in, Pan stepped in. "Are you questioning the princess?"

"Not at all!" the guard quickly stated, giving Bra a forced smile. "I will have to see what can be done, but first, please allow me to escort you to the medical wing, princess."

"That won't be necessary."

Bra's eyes widened as she slowly turned around, a sheepish smile on her lips as she saw Kibito stood before her and behind her, was her mother.

"You have _a lot_ of apologising and grovelling to do, Bra." Bulma told her angrily. "The way you spoke to me was unacceptable. But," she sighed, her features relaxing, "I'm so glad you're all safe. Well done, kids." her eyes moved up to Broly's, giving him a smile. "Thank you for keeping your promise and protecting her, Broly. Even from yourself. Now, I'll keep up my side of the deal."

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Remember in one of the previous chapters? When I said somebody attacked Videl and Gohan became a Super Saiyan because of it? Well, that someone just so happened to be Broly!**

**I'm not happy with the final battle, mostly because I just couldn't picture Buu and Broly fighting. Not to mention that fighting chapters often get repetitive and I didn't want it to seem that way! This way, you all have to use your imagination ;-)**

**Also, we all know that mole-man Babidi was _nothing_ without Majin Buu protecting him.**

**Next chapter will be the last chapter where I'm wrapping everything up.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	30. This Is Our Happy Ending

**Chapter**** 30**** –**** This Is Our Happy Ending**

It had been a month since Majin Buu and Babidi were defeated.

Some days were easier than others. Not just for Bra, but for everyone. All survivors of that battle were being burdened by overwhelming grief or guilt. Some even found it hard to believe that the danger was gone, so were constantly on edge and waiting for yet another attack that would rip their world apart.

After the first day of getting their heads around everything, Bulma had just… She broke. It killed Bra inside seeing the helpless state her mother was left in, seeing and hearing her cry herself into an emotionless state. There was nothing she could do to help her, either. But it was like Kakarot gravitated towards her now, as he always stayed by her side. They were experiencing the same sort of pain, after all, so could understand each other. They never did anything more than sit together in silence, but Bra was certain that it comforted them in a strange way.

They were not the only ones experiencing heartbreak. Pan and Gure were just as bad. Whilst the latter threw herself into whatever she could until she was ready to go back to her home planet, all Pan could do was sit there and stare. That was before the tears started, of course. She rarely left her mother's side anymore.

As for Bra and Goten… They were coping, in a way. There was little sleep because of unrelenting nightmares torturing them, forcing them to watch the deaths of their loved ones over and over again, but they comforted each other. It helped ease the pain somewhat when you knew that you were not alone.

About a day after waking up, Goten had gone to visit Broly, thanking him many times for helping Bra and, he also took the older Saiyan plenty of meat. Broly hadn't been happy about the thanks, but he gladly snatched the meat out of Goten's hands. Later that night Goten told Bra that he was happy Broly would become her personal guard.

There were rumours about the deaths of Trunks and Vegeta, however nothing had been confirmed as of yet. They needed to speak with the elders of Vegeta–sei first before releasing the news. And that was where they had just landed, though unknowingly to the Saiyans. Vegeta–sei. Bra had to keep back the powerful urge to hijack the ship and go back to Earth. It felt disgustingly wrong being on Vegeta–sei without her father.

"Queen Bulma," a retired warrior greeted them once they stepped off the ship, "Princess Bra. Please follow me to the meeting room."

He looked ready to argue when he noticed Kakarot and Goten joining them, but Bra silenced him with a hard look, daring him to question them. He did not. Instead, the man nodded once and took them to the meeting room. The entire walk felt like it was testing Bra's patience and she hadn't a lot of it in the first place. Each step through the palace made her heart pound away even harder inside of her chest, made her control on her emotions become much more difficult. This palace was her father's. Everything inside of it, in some way, reminded Bra of him.

The atmosphere in the meeting room when they entered was tense, uncomfortable. It put Bra further on edge than she had already been.

Seated around the table were the elders – six in total – and they all stood up when they walked into the room, though it was reluctantly. From behind them, Bra heard Kakarot sigh. That meant the elders were all in bad moods or needed to discuss something unpleasant. They'd already been informed of her brother and father's deaths, but right now, they were probably wondering on how to address the situation to the empire.

Bra noticed how many eyes lingered on her, though not in a lustful way. It was in a distrusting way. They were sizing her up. Questioning her.

"Sit."

It was the first time in weeks her mother had spoken and because of this, Bulma's voice was hoarse. She ignored the water on the table when it was handed to her by an elder before they all took their seats. Once they had, she and Bra sat side by side in their usual seats, leaving the two other seats vacant. Kakarot and Goten continued to stand behind them. They didn't want to sit in those seats either. No, they knew that they couldn't. Nobody would ever be able to fill those seats.

"First and foremost," the spokesperson of the elders spoke, "we would like to offer you our condolences–"

"Get to the point."

They looked amongst one another warily, wondering if it would be best to continue with the meeting or leave it another day.

Bulma didn't even blink.

Each elder looked the same, in Bra's honest opinion. They all had greying hair and receding hairlines, faces either scarred from battles long ago or had wrinkles imprinted deeply into their skin and all were wearing expensive looking robes. She had never bothered to learn their names. They'd be dead soon, so there was no point. Bra didn't even think that her mother had bothered to learn their names.

"We must discuss what is to happen with the empire." the spokesman sighed, refusing to fidget. "We believe that you–"

"I wish to bury my son before we decide anything else." Bulma told them coldly, her voice holding no room for arguments. "For the past month, my son has been kept in a capsule coffin that has been reserving his body, but he deserves better than that."

One of the elders frowned in confusion. "Only the prince? What about–"

"His body was destroyed in battle."

Bra didn't know how Bulma could it. Her voice, her features – they were all detached.

It probably made discussing such things easier to do.

The elder nodded. "Forgive me."

She didn't answer him and instead kept her cold eyes on the spokesman. "I understand, however, that we cannot simply put off duties because I wish to bury my son. I only want some time before we go making any final decisions."

One of the women elders nodded in agreement. "We understand."

"As for my husband," Bra noticed the faint tremble of Bulma's hands beneath the table as they were clenched tightly but said nothing, "I want there to be a memorial. Nothing extravagant," he hated things that were unnecessarily over the top, "just something, anything, to honour him and the sacrifice he made. The same goes for my son."

It was then that Bra realised something: her mother wasn't saying their names. She wasn't saying Trunks or Vegeta. Only 'my husband' or 'my son'. Was it too painful for her? Did it make it too real? Bra had to admit that she had had some difficulty saying Trunks's name, but she'd had just as much difficulty saying 'father' or 'dad'.

"Other warriors," Bulma continued, "will have their names written on a large stone – a cenotaph. It is where people can go to mourn their deaths, even if their bodies are not buried there."

They looked at one another before the leader of the elders nodded once. "We will agree to your wishes. Now, if you do not mind," Bulma stayed silent, "we would like to discuss future arrangements – though nothing final, of course. These will merely be suggestions."

"Such as?"

"Such as who will be ruling the empire until the princess is ready." he gave her a stern look, one that aggravated Bra beyond belief. "We–"

"I will continue as queen."

"But–"

"There are no buts."

"Queen, please hear–"

"No."

"You are acting like a child!" one of the elders snapped before he could stop himself. Once he realised what he had done, his eyes widened. "Forgive me, my queen."

Bulma stayed silent.

"There is something else we must discuss." the spokesman muttered, glaring over at the man who had just spoken out of place. Didn't he realise how emotionally unstable their queen was?

"Go on."

"Queen Bulma," one of the elders reluctantly spoke up, "we know this is a difficult time for you, but we have all agreed that it is best you remarry."

The blank look on Bulma's face shifted to one of rage and by her side and behind her, Kakarot, Bra and Goten all froze. "No."

"Do not make this harder than what it already is." another elder told her. "Princess Bra is by no means ready to take over the throne, since it had been more than obvious that it should have gone to Prince Trunks. That is not even brining up the fact that we know she is not capable of conceiving." the elder who was speaking tried his best to ignore the fierce glares that were now focusing on him, the absolute rage in Bulma's eyes as he uttered Trunks's name. "Also, her choice of mate is not fit to be king as of yet."

"You're still pissed that I didn't choose to mate with your son!" Bra spat, shrugging out of Goten's hold as he tried to calm her down. "It's only been a month! How can you all sit there acting like that? How can you speak of replacing my father and brother like they don't even matter? If they were here–"

"They are _not_ here!"

Bulma was on her feet in an instant, holding the man who had just yelled by his robes and lifting him in the air. "Don't you _dare _speak to my daughter in such a way." she warned in a low and deadly voice. "And as for them not being here, if Vegeta _was_ here, he would have never allowed you to speak to her in such a way and neither would my son." Bulma threw the man to the ground, looking at him with disgust as he shakily shot to his feet before looking at the rest of them. "I will not remarry."

"We have already picked out a mate for you, Queen Bulma." a much older woman said carelessly. "He must be prepared to take the throne, of course, but I am certain that when we ask him, he will be more than willing, especially since you are already dear to him. We have taken into consideration that as he is now the strongest Saiyan alive and is obviously more than capable of producing powerful children, he is the best choice."

Her stomach dropped when every single one of the elders looked straight at Kakarot, his eyes widening in shock before they narrowed in anger, a look they had only ever seen on the battlefield entering his features. "I might not be royal, but Chi–Chi was just as dear to me as Vegeta was to Bulma and I refuse to remarry. I promised Vegeta that I would take care of Bulma for him, I did _not_ promise to ruin his and Chi–Chi's memory by marrying her only a month after their deaths!"

Goten bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself not to start yelling and screaming.

"You are acting sentimental!" a man roared as he shot to his feet, but the look he suddenly received forced him to calm down, if only slightly. "You must all think of what is best for the empire! Queen Bulma, even with King Vegeta by your side, you both had a difficult time keeping up with everything and if we allow Princess Bra and her mate to take over now, we fear the empire will fall around us and there will be no more royal blood as she is infertile. That is not what King Ve–"

"Don't you dare," Bra spoke up, though her voice was low and deadly and shaking with barely suppressed pain and anger, "don't you _dare_ act as though you knew my father better than my mother and me. If he heard you speaking of forcing his queen into another marriage, only a month after his death, he would have torn you all to shreds and _you know it_." Bra was suddenly on her feet, powering up to Super Saiyan. "And just because he's not here anymore, it doesn't mean that you still won't be ripped to shreds!"

It took both Kakarot and Goten to stop Bra from actually doing as she said and even then, Bulma had to enter her daughter's mind and stop her forcefully.

"This meeting is over." Bulma spat.

"Queen Bulma–"

"Take another step towards me or my daughter and I will have you executed. Is that understood?"

They fell silent, growing deathly pale. It was the first time they had ever been threatened with execution and the deadly look in Bulma's eyes screamed that it wasn't a threat.

It was a promise.

* * *

><p>She was seething.<p>

Her entire body was trembling with the need to transform, with the need to rip those bastards apart. Just who the hell did they think they were? How could they demand such a thing?

Bra had heard previously that they weren't to be one hundred percent trusted, that they were pushy and always tried to dominate over everything. Why hadn't her father killed them? So what if they were the elders? People got old all the time – they could replace them easily and without trouble.

Sighing, Bra sat down and stared up at the family picture that was hanging up on the wall of her bedroom. She and Trunks were only children – her being only days old. The look on his face whilst holding her was brilliant, a smile so bright that it literally lit up the entire picture. Even Vegeta was smiling! Not a smirk, but an actual smile. Albeit a small one. Bulma was grinning almost as brightly as Trunks, but it was definitely his smile that made the picture beautiful.

"What would you do, Trunks?" Bra whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I don't… I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Despite all that talk about stealing the throne from you, I don't know the first thing about ruling an empire!" her throat burned with the need to sob but she kept those inside of her. It was bad enough that there were tears. "They're trying to force mom into… into another marriage. With Kakarot. They're trying to replace not only daddy, but Chi–Chi, too. It's crushing Goten just as much as it's crushing me, but I don't think – no, I _know_ we're not hurting nearly as much as mom and Kakarot are."

Her head fell into her hands and finally, a sob tore out of her. "Tell me what to do!"

There was no answer.

* * *

><p>Sitting up in her bed, Bulma closed her eyes as she tried to breathe evenly. After the incident in the meeting room, Kakarot had thought it best that she slept for a short while whilst he stayed in the living room of her quarters, just in case somebody needed her or there was an emergency. Nowadays, he was the only one who could truly get through to her.<p>

Sleep was restless, however. No, it was agonising. Since _his_ death all Bulma had been able to see were memories of the times they had shared. Starting from right at the beginning, when they were children and making silly, pointless bets (though at the same time, not pointless, for they had pushed her into training as hard as she did and becoming as powerful as she was), to when they met after all those years. From there, it just got more and more painful, especially when those nightmares, those memories, got to the part where they started their family.

* * *

><p><em>"So, King Vegeta, what do you say? Will you stand by the Human Empire and fight with us?" Bulma asked as she looked at the <em>_k__ing hopefully._

_"What, we fight for your __e__mpire and then you just take control of the Cold's?" Prince Vegeta __demanded angrily as he scowled at the __p__rincess._

_Bulma rolled her eye__s.__ "No, if you join us and we win, we will split the Cold Empire with you." __s__he giggled__.__ "You know__,__ my __p__rince… you should really control that temper of yours. It'll only get you into trouble."_

_"Hn__.__" Vegeta replied as he folded his arms across his chest. "From what we have heard, my __p__rincess, you also have a problem with controlling your temper."_

_"So you admit that you have a problem, my __p__rince?"_

_"No, I didn't__–__" __t__he __p__rince started to say before he was cut off by Bulma._

_"Whatever, 'Geta__.__" she winked and used the nickname she gave to Vegeta when they were kids. She turned back to the king, ignoring the __p__rince as he glared at her__.__ "So__,__ my __k__ing, will you help us?"_

_"Of course we will__, __p__rincess, any excuse to tear those lizards apart."_

* * *

><p>Oh how he had gotten under her skin. With just a simple look, Vegeta had made her want to hurt him!<p>

All of those 'my prince' or 'my princess' comments hadn't been said in a formal, polite way like they should have been – no, she and Vegeta had spat them mockingly at one another, had muttered them with barely suppressed anger. If only they had known that it wasn't actual hatred brewing between them! It had been sexual tension. It had amused Bulma to say the least when she first figured it out, but Vegeta still had ways of getting under her skin and making her think it was actual anger.

* * *

><p><em>"Bulma<em>_,__ dear, Prince Vegeta is so much stronger than you. What if he hurts you?" Bunny asked as the tears built up in her eyes._

_The human __p__rincess turned her head when she heard a deep chuckle coming from behind her. When she saw it was only Vegeta who was laughing, she turned back to face her mother with a cocky expression._

_"Oh please__,__ mother," Bulma rolled her eyes and waved one hand in front of her, "Vegeta may be strong but he isn't that strong." __s__he smirked when she heard his warning growl._

_Bunny frowned slightly__.__ "Now__,__ Bulma, you must show respect to Prince Vegeta. He is risking a lot by helping us."_

_"No__,__ mother, I will show King Vegeta and Prince Tarble respect because they show me it. But I will not show respect for that arrogant pig." __s__he said stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest._

_Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked forward__. H__e was growing tired of the video transmission but he wasn't allowed to leave until it was over. Sure, he was over a thousand times stronger than his father but out of respect for his father and __k__ing, he did as he was told. "As much as I dislike the wench, I will not harm her."_

* * *

><p>Such a jerk! Who did he think he was, calling <em>her<em> a wench?

A smile graced her lips.

"I am Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans!" Bulma whispered the words Vegeta had spoken so many times.

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

* * *

><p><em>"Well<em>_,__ come on__.__" Vegeta said before his brother could question the girl and probably cause some sort of human emotional break dow__n.__ "I haven't got all day and we have already missed over an hour of training!" __h__e added before storming out of the room._

_Bulma rolled her eyes at his pushiness but followed him. When they got to the end of the hallway she whispered a, "__t__hank you." to him._

_"I didn't do it for you__.__" Vegeta replied._

_"Of course you didn't."_

_"I didn't!" Vegeta argued__.__ "I just didn't want to have to put up with your pathetic human emotions."_

_"Sure__.__" Bulma smirked._

_"I didn't!"_

_"Well someone seems a little defensive, I only said 'sure'." __s__he winked at him._

_Vegeta stayed silent and glared at anyone who passed by the two __r__oyalties all the way to the training rooms._

* * *

><p>Even though he had never admitted it back then, Bulma knew that he cared for her. It wasn't from what he said; it was his actions and unspoken words.<p>

A strangled–sounding sob escaped her as she clutched at her chest tightly, the unbearable pain almost crushing her.

* * *

><p><em>Vegeta flew towards the <em>_p__rincess but was stopped by his father's hand._

_"Father, she is going to die!" Vegeta protested__.__ "Can't you feel her power? It's too high! She cannot control it!"_

_The human warriors along with Kakarot, Raditz and Bardock suddenly burst into the room. They left towards the meeting room as soon as the__y__ felt the spike in her power._

_Bulma slowly levitated off of the ground and turned to face the other people in the room._

_What they saw scared even Vegeta._

_Her eyes that were once a beautiful shade of blue were now an empty white. It looked like her pupils had completely disappeared. Her long blue hair was flowing eerily around her angry face and the black flames just kept on growing._

_Vegeta broke out of his father's hold and charged toward Bulma. She didn't even look like Bulma anymore though. She just looked so angry and hurt and it pained him to see her in such a way. He didn't want her to become so over powered by her suddenly monstrous power that it killed her. He didn't want her to hurt herself whether she was doing it knowingly or not. He just wanted her to calm down._

_Bulma didn't even notice when Vegeta approached her and she didn't hear his hiss of pain as the touch of her skin burned his hands. All she could feel was the burning and anger in her mind. All she could hear was the voices telling her to go and make Frieza watch as she killed his parents and then she wanted to torture him in the most slowly and painful way possible. All she could see was darkness and all she could taste was blood._

_Bulma's stunningly blue pupils slowly came back and her eyebrows knitted together as though she was in a great amount pain. The black flames around her died down until they were completely gone and like her hair, she fell but before she could hit the ground, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and held her close to his body._

_"Bulma!" Vegeta's worried and pained voice echoed through her mind before she slipped into a different sort of darkness, the darkness of unconsciousness._

* * *

><p>When times got tough and she meant <em>tough<em>, Vegeta was always by her side.

As the memories got too painful for her to remember, Bulma leaned forward until her face was pressed into her bed and sobbed.

"Vegeta…" she whimpered, her eyes closing tightly. "_Vegeta_!"

* * *

><p>It was decided.<p>

Bra's eyes were a fraction wider than usual as she stalked her way through the palace, masking her ki until it wasn't even noticeable, until it seemed like she was nothing more than an empty space.

She had spent the past hour or so crying to herself and then, Bra had decided to pay her mother a visit, wanting her comfort. What had she found? Bulma was passed out from crying so hard. That wasn't acceptable. Already, she was grieving for the loss of not only her husband, but also her son and what were the elders demanding from her? That she remarry not even a month after his death. They had chosen Kakarot because he had "_already proved capable of producing powerful children_".

_Not fucking acceptable_.

There was blood lust and madness in her eyes, a madness that had anyone passing her by, cowering in fear. She didn't care. Those bastards were going to pay for upsetting her mother. She didn't need any of that stress that they were putting on her! Not only on her, but also Kakarot and Goten. They were her family now.

"You are making a mistake, Bra."

The calm voice did little to soothe her. "Don't tell me what to do." she spat in return, tightening her hold on the sword's blue leather belt. "They deserve what's coming to them."

In response, the small being stepped in front of her, his expression worried, yet careful. "Would you really stain your brother's sword with their blood, Bra? Let them be. For a warrior, there is no worse death than dying of old age."

"Wrong." Bra narrowed her eyes. "My father believed that _any_ death outside of battle is a pitiful way to go."

He offered her a small smile, purple lips lifting up at the corners. "And you know that they will fight back, meaning it will be a battle to do the death." he cut her off when Bra was about to argue. "Even though you are much stronger than they are, it will still be a battle if they fight back."

The determined, angry expression on Bra's face cracked, the insanity leaving her eyes as they filled with tears of agony. Her features crumbled with the same pain. "Supreme Kai, they're… they're…"

"I know." he told her, aching inside at the pain in her voice that sounded so very childlike. At the end of the day, despite everything she had been through, Bra was still a child. She was barely even seventeen years of age. However… "It is your day of birth tomorrow, is it not?"

She swallowed hard, frowning in confusion a moment later. "I–It is, but… Why…?"

Supreme Kai gave her a gentle smile and held out of his hand. "Come with me, Bra. I have a gift for you."

Another voice spoke up, sounding confused. "Bra? Supreme Kai?"

He glanced over his shoulder at Goten, gesturing for him to join them. "It can be a joint gift," Supreme Kai gave her another smile, lifting a brow, "if you do not mind sharing, that is."

Bra quickly shook her head, wiping away her tears with one hand whilst the other grabbed Supreme Kai's outstretched hand. "It can be a late wedding gift." she joked lightly.

"Goten?"

The Saiyan was wary, but since he didn't want to really let Bra out of his sight so soon after everything that had happened, he walked over to them, grabbing the Supreme Kai's other hand. A second later and a taller man was behind them, placing his hand on him and they disappeared from the hallway, leaving it empty and cold.

It was a surprise when they arrived on a planet neither Goten nor Bra had been on before, making them both frown as they looked around.

"You're giving us a planet?"

Kibito scoffed, whilst Supreme Kai smirked gently. "Not at all. Bra, Goten, have you ever heard of the planet Namek? Inhabited by the Namekian race?" slowly, unsurely, Bra nodded, though Goten shook his head. "You see, Bra, your mother came here not too long ago in order to find something, something that would help her with a problem she was having."

A memory suddenly struck her like a bolt of lightning, making her breath leave her and her eyes widen. "You mean…?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"This is… This is _the_ planet Namek?"

"It is."

"Wait, wait," Goten's frown deepened as he looked between them all in confusion, "what are we talking about?"

Seeing that the girl was currently in shock, Kibito spoke up, filling Goten in. "Not long after her thirtieth birthday, your queen began to realise something: she was ageing. It is a natural thing to happen to humans. However, when Vegeta informed Bulma that Saiyans do not age as fast as humans, she became quite distressed, wondering if she would be able to keep up with him and help with the empire. I believe her exact words were: how on earth can an old biddy run an empire?" Supreme Kai nodded once and let out a soft sounding chuckle. "With a push in the right direction, due to all she had done for the universe, Bulma discovered the planet Namek. Not only the planet, but also what was on the planet."

Glancing around himself, his eyes narrowed. The planet didn't seem like anything too special to him. Almost like a confused Earth. Instead of the grass being green and the sky being blue, it was the other way around. The water also looked more green than blue, but they had those kinds of ponds and rivers on Earth, too. They were always dirty and filled with waste, though. This water looked sparkling and fresh.

Kibito watched him examine the planet for a moment before continuing. "Whilst Namek does not look like much, it holds a great power here."

"What great power?" he questioned.

"The power to grant any wish." Bra whispered, her chest and throat both tight with emotion. "You…" she shook her head, smiling softly at the Supreme Kai and Kibito. "With everything going on, it's no surprise that she's forgotten all about the wish."

The Supreme Kai nodded, but his expression suddenly became serious. "This is strictly between us four, do you understand me, Bra, Goten? Not another soul should find out about the dragonballs. It could be disastrous for the entire universe." noticing the look they shared, he sighed. "Yes, I understand that there will be a lot of questions about what has happened and why, however, you must promise me that you will only give away the smallest amount of details. I have sworn to the grand elder of Namek that their planet will remain in the shadows. Namek may be a part of your empire, Bra, but it is more on the Earth side than the Vegeta–sei side."

Sighing, he glanced up at the bright sky. The three suns had very little effect on him despite the heat they were causing. "That is because the Namekians are a peaceful race and I would like for them to remain that way. Already, they know of your presence here, though I have assured them that you will cause them no trouble. The grand elder, otherwise known as Guru, has sent a message across the planet. They will know when to hand over the dragonballs." his head dipped lower a fraction, eyes serious yet pleading as they met with Bra's. "Please do not make me regret this decision by causing this planet or the inhabitants any harm."

Kibito continued where Supreme Kai finished, scowling down at them. "This was no easy decision for Supreme Kai to make. Using the dragonballs has a negative effect on the universe."

"Then why let us use them?" Goten asked, glancing down at Bra. "Why let Bulma use them just so she could stop ageing?"

The taller man nodded, understanding their confusion clearly. "That is because Bulma is a great asset to the universe. Her psychic abilities are like no other that we have come across – and your brother, Bra, was on his way to surpassing her. This is why we have decided to allow this _just this once_. Just this once, we will turn a blind eye. The universe needs protectors. The universe needs you."

"All we ask is that you do not take advantage of the knowledge we have shared with you." Supreme Kai stated before smiling gently at them. "We must go to your parents now and whilst you have just under eleven months to find the dragonballs and revive all of your people and loved ones – for after a year, they will forever remain dead – we must insist that you have all seven found by the end of tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Many of the warriors who died were buried," Kibito told them, "so we must uncover their bodies and–"

She shook her head. "No, my mom refused to have anybody buried yet. She wanted it to be a huge funeral, a memorial. That way nobody would be left out or forgotten. We may have lost our king and prince, but my mom wanted to make sure that those even in third class were mourned, that their deaths were not in vain or forgotten."

Just as she got halfway through her reply, Goten was shaking his head. "You're wrong, Bra. Many of them disobeyed and buried their loved ones not even a day after their deaths. They refused to have them laying out like they're on show."

Her eyes widened. "You and Kaka–"

"No. Everyone is still being kept in those capsules your mom created – I'm just stating the facts."

Exchanging a look with Supreme Kai, Kibito sighed and nodded once. "I will notify Bulma at once and ask for her to find a way to–"

"That may not be necessary." Supreme Kai stated thoughtfully. "Remember, Kibito, there are three wishes with the Namekian dragonballs. The first wish will be used to bring back all of those who fought against Majin Buu – who fought on the side that protected the universe. It is imperative that you word your wishes wisely, as we do not want Majin Buu to be revived." Bra nodded, swallowing hard. They couldn't risk that happening. "Although it is a great misuse of their powers, for the second wish, you should wish for all those who have already been buried, to be able to find some way out of their coffins or tombs. Whether it be by pure coincidence or by their own strength." he tilted his head to the side, regarding them both. "What will be your third wish?"

This time, it was she and Goten who exchanged looks. However, neither could come up with a single thing to wish for. What exactly did they not have that was so bad they needed to use a wish?

Goten's eyes widened. "Bra, we could wish for–"

"No." she cut him off, eyes suddenly fiercely guarded as she realised what he was thinking.

No. They couldn't wish for that. They couldn't. But… It was such a tempting thought. Would it really work? Would the dragon be able to grant her what they both wanted? In all honesty, Bra hadn't had time to think of her being infertile since her and Goten's honeymoon. Should they wish for her to be fertile?

His expression saddened, seeing her troubled one. "Bra–"

"I said _no_, Goten."

"Are you–"

"Yes, I'm sure." Bra snapped and looked away, eyes narrowing. "We're not discussing it here."

When Goten looked back at Supreme Kai and Kibito, he tried his best to ignore their sympathetic gazes. "How do we find the dragonballs?" he asked, clearing his throat before continuing. "I mean, we don't have any sort of locator, right?"

The purple being shook his head. "I'm afraid not. However, across Namek, there are several villages. Six in total. In each of these, there will be one dragonball."

"And the seventh?" Bra asked quietly, still looking away.

"The seventh will be with the grand elder." Kibito told them. He stepped forward a moment later, confusing Bra as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes snapped up to his. "Do what you believe is the right thing to do, Bra. I cannot say that your way of thinking is right, but I _can_ say that it is not wrong, either." he paused for a moment, seeming to be thinking over his words. "Follow your heart and what you believe is the right thing to do."

With that, he stepped back, placing the very same hand on Supreme Kai's shoulder as he shared with him a discreet nod.

"Good luck." the smaller man told them with a suddenly knowing smile, one they didn't fully understand. "The first village is a hundred miles south."

And just like that, they were gone.

* * *

><p>The Namekians really were a peaceful race. Bra had noticed that several times in the past few hours.<p>

They'd been on Namek for over four hours now and their body clocks were telling them that, on Vegeta–sei, it would be way past one in the morning by now. In ways they were still recovering from the battle and were to take it easy. That included sleeping as much as possible, but not so much that it disrupted their daily routines.

In one of the villages, they had been granted access to one of the homes and were told that they could rest there for as long as needed. Not entirely necessary, as Bra planned to be up as early as possible and setting out for the other dragonballs. Altogether, they had two. It seemed the villages were spaced pretty far apart, but that didn't bother them too much as they had more than enough energy. Hopefully, that energy would last, because unfortunately, Namekians lived off water and they hadn't brought any supplies with them. No clean clothing, no shelter and no food. All they had on them were the clothes on their backs and Trunks's sword. It had been a surprise trip, after all.

Laying back and staring up at the ceiling, Bra sighed. She'd upset Goten. Earlier that day, instead of snapping at him and being moody, she should have told him her reasons.

"Trunks always believed you would become a Super Saiyan." Goten told her quietly, his eyebrows knitting together. "He's always believed in you, Bra."

His suddenly spoken words surprised her to say the least, earning him an unsure, yet hopeful look. Where was this coming from? "He did?"

The dark haired man nodded and took a moment before continuing. "No matter what you choose the third wish to be, I know it will be something that's meaningful. Trunks… He always said that even though you're impulsive, you mean well – and I know that's true because I watched you grow into who you are today!" Goten grinned proudly for a moment before it slipped away. "I'm just… I don't know why you wouldn't use that wish to be selfish, just this once. After everything that's happened to you, after everything Majin Buu has done to you, you deserve to be selfish."

Her hands were shaking ever so slightly, but Bra refused to focus on that. And despite feeling tired, sleep would not come to her due to the fact Namek had three suns and it was difficult to shut all natural light out of the small hut. Whilst her body clock was telling her that it was time to sleep, her mind was as energetic as ever, thinking it was time to be up.

"I don't want to," she sighed, eyebrows knitting together, "get my hopes up." his eyes snapped to hers, widened with surprise. "What if the dragon can't change natural things such as that? What if it says that the wish has been granted and we try over and over again, only to find out that we still… we still can't have babies?" Bra shook her head. "I'm not risking it. I don't want to get my hopes up. Not over something like this."

Remembering how devastated she had been, how broken up the news of her infertility had made her, Goten decided to let it go. He closed his eyes, pulling Bra against him until her face was buried into the crook of his neck. Her hold on him was just as tight.

"It's okay." he murmured, evening out his breathing and smiling softly when he noticed Bra matching his, drifting off to sleep. "No matter what your choice is, I'll stand by you, Bra."

She smiled.

* * *

><p>"You must be Bra and Goten."<p>

The being before them was unlike any of the other Namekians they had encountered so far. So far, they had come across tiny little Namekian children, grown–ups who were rather muscular and, in their own way, powerful, and then there had been the other elder Namekians. This particular Namekian was… Well, _huge_.

Guru was seated in a large throne, towering over them with his impressive height even whilst sitting down! Like other elder Namekians, his once vibrant green skin was now old and dull, appearing darker with age. Bra wasn't sure how he was looking at them – if he was at all – because Guru's eyes were shut, almost like he was sleeping.

"We are." Goten replied in a strong, calm voice. There was something about Guru's presence that had him feeling so very relaxed and at peace. For the first time in a month, since the battle against Majin Buu, he felt at peace. "And we would like to thank you for allowing us to use your dragonballs. Supreme Kai told us both that when misused, they have a negative effect on the universe."

The grand elder nodded once, the movement seeming like a lot of effort for him. Clearly, _obviously_, Guru was getting on in his years. "That is correct. However, not having protectors for our universe will have an even greater negative effect."

By his side were two different Namekians, one seeming fairly young, although definitely an adult, whilst the other one was quite short and seemed much younger. It was the younger one who spoke up. "You're Gohan's younger brother! Wow, you look so much like him!"

Goten blinked in surprise and Bra stared up at him with furrowed brows. "You knew Gohan?"

"How?" Bra asked.

"Knew?" the youngest Namekian repeated before it suddenly hit him. "Those warriors you're reviving…" Goten nodded once. "I'm so sorry. When I met Gohan… It was a long time ago. He came here with a woman who looks just like you, Bra – your mother, I believe. They came to find the dragonballs and it was me who helped them with the password and finding them." he smiled. "During that time, Gohan became a very dear friend to me. I haven't seen him in a while, but I still like to think of him as my friend."

Gohan always had that effect on people. They just felt so safe with him that it was difficult _not_ to like him.

"Dende," Guru spoke up, "I want you to do what you did the last time and help the two before us with the password."

"Yes, Lord Guru."

* * *

><p>The sky was unnaturally dark, the air so thick with power that it had Bra gasping in shock and taking a step back, her blue eyes widening as a dragon seemed to appear out of nowhere, shooting across the sky until it was stretched out before them completely. Red eyes glared down at them and she felt a shiver run up her spine at the sheer size of the dragon. Bra didn't know what she had been expecting, but it wasn't <em>this<em>.

"Amazing!" Goten breathed, staring up at the green dragon with wide, fascinated eyes.

"_Why have you summoned me_?" the dragon's loud voice boomed around them. "_You have three wishes. Name them now and they shall be done_."

They seriously had three wishes!

"What is your first wish?" Dende asked politely, glancing over his shoulder at them.

Goten glanced at Bra. She took a deep breath. "I wish for all those who fought against Majin Buu, his master Babidi and their lackeys, to be revived!"

Dende repeated her words to the dragon in the same, strange tongue he had spoken in when summoning the dragon. They were guessing that it was the Namekian language.

Suddenly, the dragon's eyes were glowing a deeper red. "_It has been done_."

"The second wish." Goten told her with a hint of urgency in his voice.

She understood clearly. "I wish for those who have just been revived, who are also buried, to be able to find some way out of their coffins, capsules or tombs! Either by coincidence or with their own strength."

Again, the dragon's eyes became a deeper red when Dende told him her second wish. "_It has been done. All those who were buried after the battle against Majin Buu, his master and their lackeys, will now find a way out. What is your final wish?_"

Bra took another deep breath. Her final wish. In her chest, her heart was pounding away, to the point where she was certain it was going to shoot right out of her. It surprised her when a large hand wrapped around her own, his fingers entwining with hers and making her hand look so very feminine and dainty. The hold brought Bra a sense of comfort, of safety. And when she looked up, Goten was smiling down at her softly.

"No matter what, I'll stand by you."

"For my final wish," Bra tried to make her voice louder, but it didn't work. Thankfully, Namekians had sharp hearing, "I wish for my father, Vegeta, the current King of all Saiyans and also myself and Goten, as well as Chi–Chi and any Saiyans that remain on Earth, with the exception of Broly, to be transported to the main palace on Vegeta–sei."

That was quite a mouthful, she thought after a moment.

Dende also seemed to think it was a mouthful as he translated it into Namekian, though she hoped more than anything that he didn't leave a single word of her wish out, especially the part about the exception of Broly. He was to remain on Earth, otherwise it could possibly break the deal between him and her mother if he went on a rampage. There was no telling what those voices in his head were telling him, although they nearly always told him to destroy and kill.

"_Your wish has been granted_…"

The world was suddenly disappearing around them and in response, Goten and Bra held onto each other tightly, squeezing their eyes shut as the air around them began to heat up.

And then it just… stopped.

Were they still on Namek? Hadn't it changed anything? What was going on? Had the dragon even granted them their wish?

Slowly, unsurely, Bra opened her eyes.

The sight before her had tears filling her eyes, had a sob tearing right out of her.

Stood not too far from them, staring down at his hands in confusion, was her father. His ever present scowl was still there, but the moment he heard Bra's sob, his head snapped up, eyes widening.

"Daddy…" her features scrunched up as she attempted to hold back her sobs.

"Mom."

Bra couldn't look away from her father as Goten strode forward and engulfed his mother in a tight, warm hug. Chi–Chi looked rather confused, though the moment she realised where she was and who was holding her, she was returning Goten's hold just as fiercely.

She shot forward without another thought, slamming into her father and wrapping her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his chest. The sobs simply wouldn't stop. Nothing could control them. And it seemed Vegeta understood, despite not liking public displays of affection, for he silently placed his hand in between her shoulder blades, awkwardly rubbing it in a circular motion – something he had seen Bulma doing when she was comforting their children.

Bulma.

"Bra, your mother…?"

"Is right here."

The voice was a whisper, clogged with emotion ranging from sadness, agony and happiness. By her side was none other than Trunks, their hands clasped tightly, almost like Bulma was afraid of letting go of him.

Other Saiyans began appearing around the room and amongst them were Gohan, Tarble, Raditz and Bardock, all of them joining their families. It wasn't long until those who Bulma had sent a message out to began to enter the large throne room. They seemed just as unsure as Bra had, like they didn't want to get their hopes up, but the second they spotted their loved ones, it was like all restraints snapped away and they were darting forward, holding each other tightly. Friends were smiling through their tears at one another, greeting each other as though nothing had happened – siblings, too. Mates and lovers were holding onto each other desperately, shaking as they breathed in one another's scents, not wanting to let go ever again.

"Vegeta…" Bulma sighed and finally closed the distance between them, the ever–present pain in her heart evaporating when his hands fell to her hips and she felt him breathing in her scent. "I love you, too." she whispered in his ear, closing her eyes tightly when one of Vegeta's arms slowly wrapped around her, his tail doing the same.

"I heard you turned into a Super Saiyan." a smug voice stated from beside her. In his next words, however, he sounded incredibly proud. "I always knew you had it in you, Bra."

"Thanks." she murmured and dragged him into a hug. "For believing in me, I mean."

"I take it you missed your big brother?" Trunks asked her teasingly, tugging on the sword that was still on her back.

"Shut up." Bra rolled her eyes, chuckling once although it sounded more like a sob. He didn't comment on it. "I'm just glad I won't have to be queen, now."

He laughed in her ear, the sound taking Bra back to when she was a little girl. It comforted her greatly. "And why is that?"

Bra looked up from his shoulder, smiling softly at the dark haired girl standing with her family, hugging her father tightly whilst Kakarot was being embraced by Chi–Chi in the same way. He seemed too stunned to do much else than accept her hold. "Because you promised that role to someone already, Trunks."

The laughter faded away as Trunks asked quietly, "Did Pan…?"

She shook her head. "Pan survived the battle, though only just. Your death on top of her family members'… It almost destroyed her." pulling away, she smiled up into his blue eyes. "Go to her. I know she'll be relieved to see you."

And when he did, Trunks found that his little sister was right.

"Pan?"

Her entire body froze in the process of releasing her father, who smirked down at her knowingly in response until he was being distracted by Videl.

"Trunks…"

Grief flashed over her features before Pan was whirling around and punching him.

"What was that–"

"Don't ever do that to me again!" Pan sobbed into his ear, embracing him lovingly.

He pressed an affectionate kiss to her cheek. "I'll never leave you again, I promise."

* * *

><p>It had been over a month now since those who had died were brought back to life. Much to Bra's astonishment, it had been easy slipping back into her previous life. Well, it wasn't entirely the same, but once everybody was certain that there wouldn't be another attack, that their loved ones weren't going to suddenly drop dead once more, it slowly got back to normal.<p>

Speaking of dropping dead, the night everyone was revived, it was reported that all six of the elders had been slaughtered by what appeared to be a vicious, wild animal. Bra smirked. It had been no wild animal and she had warned those idiots that the moment her father found out about their plans, he would tear them all to shreds. She knew her daddy and his anger. Those bastards had died only hours after he had been told the news. Nobody grieved over their deaths and already, they had new elders, ones who knew their place and didn't try to dominate every single thing that happened.

Couples like Bulma and Vegeta… Bra shuddered. For the first couple of weeks, it had been better to avoid them when they were around one another. She couldn't blame them for their need to be sure that they were really there, to _feel_, but it would have been nice not to have to run away from certain rooms when she heard moans and grunts, when she heard wet slapping sounds.

Oh God they had mentally scarred her worse than she already was.

Trunks and Pan were now officially a couple and even though they were taking things slowly, he had confided in his younger sister that he wanted to 'pop the question' soon. That hadn't surprised Bra in the least for Pan had always been in love with Trunks and apparently, those feelings had always been reciprocated.

Many families were falling into their original pace once more and things were thankfully getting back to normal.

Bra took a deep breath, staring at the screen before her.

And now, there was more good news to share with her loved ones.

It certainly explained why, the last time she saw them, Supreme Kai had smiled knowingly at her, why Kibito had placed his palm on her shoulder. They had been examining her without her knowledge.

She was running before she even knew it, going to the fields where her family had taken to training together. And Bra meant her _whole_ family, which included Goten's side of the family as well as Tarble and Gure. Those two had agreed to stay on Vegeta–sei for a short while.

Would nine months be classed as short?

"Goten!"

Goten paused in his spar against Trunks and at the sight of her tears, he frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked with confusion. "Why are you crying?"

At his question, almost every movement in the training grounds stopped and they were all watching Bra carefully. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her tears, but he realised a moment later that they were happy tears – the thought of people crying when happy was still ridiculous to him. And by his side, Bulma tilted her head to the side, curious as to what could have made her so happy.

"It's not bad!" she grinned, a faint blush sweeping over her cheeks as she tried to calm herself. "They're happy tears." when his look of confusion grew, she smiled softly. "I'm pregnant." Which certainly explained her inability to control her emotions the past couple of months. "I'm two months into the pregnancy, to be exact."

Silence.

And then strong arms were wrapping around her, lifting her off the ground. "I knew we could do it." Goten whispered in her ear and when he lowered her to her feet, he couldn't help but kiss her softly. "Thank you, Bra."

* * *

><p><strong>The End<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Not too sure on the ending, but I wanted to give Bra a happy ending! I think she deserves it, doesn't she? And if you all remembered in a much earlier chapter (17 or 18, I think), I mentioned the dragonballs and the fact Bulma used them to keep herself from slowing down and ageing.**

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

**So, this is the end of Battle of the Minds! I'm kind of glad for that, because I got a little (_a lot_) stuck on it after around the thirteenth chapter, but I forced myself to keep going. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's when writers on here give up on their stories halfway through them and leave all of their readers hanging. I get that they don't want to force the story, but it's still not fair to the readers! Not to mention it's so frustrating, especially when they leave it at a good part and mark the story as 'complete' simply because they can't do anymore for it.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE FINAL CHAPTER AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


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